John Pelletier is currently serving as Maui Chief of Police during the devastating fires that have been named the deadliest US blaze in 100 years as the current death toll stands at 96 and is reportedly expected to increase.
Catastrophic wildfires in Hawaii have scorched Maui, killing dozens of people and destroying most of the historic town of Lahaina. We explored information about the police chief, who previously worked in Las Vegas and is now dealing with the incidents based on public information displayed on social media profiles.
John Pelletier’s public LinkedIn profile displays his work experience. The professional is currently listed as Chief of Police Maui Police Department who is from Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Prior to his role in Hawaii, John Pelletier’s LinkedIn page shows that he worked as Police Captain in Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department from January 2020 until Dec 2021.
As the Major Violator / Narcotics, his job was to lead a police command of detectives and police supervisors in an effort to make the Las Vegas community the safest in America.
The LinkedIn page also states that he was educated at FBI National Academy, attending FBINA 276 as well as UNLV (University of Nevada-Las Vegas).
Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on John Pelletier when the Las Vegas police captain was named police chief in Maui, explaining that Pelletier told the commission that he ran the K-9 and SWAT sections during his time with Metro, along with being a detective sergeant in the gang unit, in internal affairs and an instructor in the police academy, among other positions.
He also acted as Incident Commander for the mysterious Las Vegas Police mass shooting – the largest in American history – in 2017.
His contribution on the night of the mass shooting in 2017, which witnessed the deaths of some 58 people, has even been recognized in a book on “Effective Crisis Communication:”
“Captain Pelletier experienced a challenging crisis context to lead through following the October 1 shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was able to navigate the uncertainty of the crisis, coordinate and collaborate with key stakeholders during the crisis, and take action…”
To date, there has never been a particularly compelling explanation for how or why 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort, killing 59 and injuring 527 people.
Pelletier recently obtained a certificate in criminal justice from the FBI National Academy, with Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and current FBI Director Christopher Wray both present at his graduation.
Anyone recognize this man? Maui Police Chief John Pelletier was also incident commander for the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.
They’ll tell you this is just a coincidence.
pic.twitter.com/paI4Qu0ph6— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) August 14, 2023
Since Pelletier, took the helm of the Maui Police Department, he’s been welcomed by some officers and community members as someone who might finally shake up a department that had been plagued by controversy and allegations of corruption. But others, including leaders of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, have criticized his leadership style and accused Pelletier of creating a hostile workplace for some officers.
A commission was tasked with reviewing three complaints made by MPD employees against Pelletier, which alleged “violations in policy and procedure.” Civil Beat requested copies of the complaints through a public records request earlier this summer, but the county refused to release the documents at the time, saying they were still part of an ongoing investigation.
The Maui Police Commission unanimously decided against disciplining Maui Police Chief John Pelletier at the time after spending weeks reviewing complaints from MPD employees.
His record in handling the fires and the shooting is not looking good as he was at the helm of the biggest wildfire and the biggest mass shooting in our modern history!
Where were the police officers?
NEW 🚨 Maui residents say they have been looted and robbed at gunpoint while catastrophic wildfires rage on the island – KITV pic.twitter.com/rakKahLK08
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 15, 2023
OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author’s opinion
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