A 19-year-old man arrested on the H-1 Gulick Avenue overpass on Memorial Day on suspicion of murder in the death of a 48-year-old man was charged Thursday with a lesser offense.

Prosecutors charged Rimoni Pologa-Seiuli with first-degree assault. His bail was set at $100,000.

The Medical Examiner’s Office has said Riley Meade of Kalihi died when his heart suddenly stopped during a violent physical struggle, and had hypertension and hardening of the arteries, which contributed to his death. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Police were called at 4:49 a.m. Monday to an assault at the Aloha Island Mart, 2314 N. School St.

Upon spotting the suspect, Officer Edward Tabanera chased him on foot but later lost him, according to a police affidavit filed in Honolulu District Court. Other officers located the suspect, and Tabanera caught up with him on the freeway overpass.

While on the overpass, Pologa-Seiuli told Tabanera, “It’s over for me, I ain’t going back to jail.” He added, “Tell my daughter that I love her.”

After pleading with the suspect for an hour, Tabanera and other officers grabbed him and pulled him over the railing onto the sidewalk, the affidavit said.

Also according to the affidavit, a man had waved down an officer to report that he had seen two men “throwing punches” at the convenience store. Meade appeared to retreat as Pologa-Seiuli chased him and continued to punch him, according to the affidavit.

Meade then covered himself and the teen fled, the affidavit said, and the witness saw Meade slowly walk toward the convenience store and then suddenly collapse.

A Handi-Van driver said she saw Pologa-Seiuli chase Meade in the middle of School Street, push him down and kick him in the face. Then, as Meade tried to get up and walk, the teen pushed him from behind, causing Meade to fall and hit his face on the curb, becoming motionless, the driver told police.