A jury in American Samoa has acquitted a 17-year police veteran of assault charges.
Lieutenant Tulele Laolagi has been found not guilty of first and third degree assault charges.
The officer had been charged with beating two people in custody in the Fagatogo police station early last Christmas morning.
Potasi Taiese, who received a broken jaw in the incident, is suing Lieutenant Laolagi and two other officers, Maria Leiato and Ray Noa, for three POINT five million dollars in damages.
