Posted on: Wednesday, August 21, 2002

Shackled inmate hurt in fall at court session

Advertiser Staff

A Halawa prison inmate who is serving as his own lawyer at a Circuit Court trial on kidnapping and terroristic threatening charges apparently tripped on the leg shackles he was wearing in court, causing him to fall and injure his back.

City paramedics were called to Circuit Judge Karen Ahn's courtroom and placed Alomalietoa Sua on a backboard and put a brace around his head and neck before carting him away on a stretcher accompanied by several sheriff's deputies.

Sua, who complained about numbness and loss of feeling in his toes, was taken to The Queen's Medical Center for observation.

Sua was wearing a new type of restraint that permits greater movement than more traditional ankle chains but "locks up" to prevent the wearer from trying to run away.

It was not clear if the device malfunctioned or contributed in any way to Sua's fall.

Ahn declared a mistrial earlier this year after Sua said he wanted to defend himself and later asked that a lawyer be assigned to help him.