A top US police officer who has worked in law enforcement for more than 20 years has been fighting in the front lines of the deadly Hawaii wildfires.
Here is all there is to know about John Pelletier, the police chief on Maui.
John Pelletier, who is he?
Hawaii’s Maui Police Chief is John Pelletier. He was raised in Buffalo, New York, and has worked in law enforcement for more than 20 years.
As the Maui wildfires burn through thousands of acres of land and surpass the California Camp Fire in 2018 as the deadliest wildfire in US history, Pelletier has been in the news.
How long has John Pelletier served as Maui’s police chief?
Just a little more than 600 days have passed since Pelletier took over as chief of the Maui Police Department.
With only a year under his belt, Pelletier admitted in January that he had already learned a lot—not just about Hawaii’s police department, but also about its residents.
He claimed that serving in Aloha State is unique. Hawaii News Now.
“I now know that coconut wireless is legitimate. It didn’t even occur to me,” Pelletier admitted.
“We have amazing people who consistently perform some of the best public safety work in the country, if not the world.”
What has John Pelletier said in regard to the wildfires in Maui?
The Maui police chief broke down in tears on Sunday while explaining to reporters that the fire had melted metal, making it very difficult to identify any remains.
He said: “The remains we’re finding, you know, our family and our friends, were caused by a fire that melted metal. Rapid DNA testing is required to identify them. We need to finish it quickly and correctly.”
“So when we pick up the remains, and they crumble apart,” he continued. That’s what you’re stepping on because 200 people were running through the scene yesterday.”
“I’m not sure how much more I should describe it. Please give us some time to control that.”
“None of us really knows the size of it yet.”
It happens after 99 people have died as a result of the deadly wildfires in Maui, and authorities fear that number could double in the upcoming week.
Firefighters are still searching for about 1,000 people throughout the day.
Authorities are requesting DNA samples from people who have missing family members in order to help them identify victims.
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