The Maui Police Commission decided Wednesday against placing Maui Police Chief John Pelletier on administrative leave, as recommended by the mayor after the filing of a civil lawsuit in Northern California alleging Pelletier acted as an operative in 2018 for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs to help hide his alleged sexual assaults.
Mayor Richard Bissen said in a written statement: “While I respect the commission’s right to disagree, a leave of absence in such cases does not imply an admission of guilt but is a necessary step to protect the department’s reputation, effectiveness, and public trust.”
He had asked the commission to place Pelletier on administrative leave while commissioners conduct an independent review of the allegations in the lawsuit, potentially involving criminal conduct.
Pelletier said: “The documented evidence submitted by my lawyer to the Maui Police Commission on March 17, 2025, clearly establishes beyond any doubt my whereabouts and demonstrates the falsity of these allegations.
Pelletier, a Las Vegas police captain before he was sworn in as the Maui Police Department’s chief in December 2021, has denied the allegations and offered credit card receipts in Las Vegas as proof he was not in Orinda or Contra Costa County, Calif., where the first incident allegedly occurred March 23, 2018.
Pelletier’s lawyer also provided texts and statements by co-workers attesting he was available to handle call-out situations in Las Vegas that day, and that his vacation began March 25, 2018.
The amended complaint filed March 7 in Northern California alleges Pelletier posed as a Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department deputy who covered up Combs’ alleged gang-rape of the woman who filed the lawsuit.
Pelletier’s lawyer submitted to the commission the alleged photo of him attached to the civil complaint, which is a screenshot from a video posted during the Feb. 4, 2018, Super Bowl in Minnesota. Pelletier denies it is him, nor does it resemble him since the screenshot and video is of a man with a shaved head, whereas a March 31, 2018, photo shows him with hair.
Pelletier is not named in a federal indictment that alleges Combs lured female victims to take part in elaborate sex performances that sometimes lasted days.
Nick Krau, Maui chapter chair for the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, said in a written statement Wednesday: “We respect the Commission’s decision and appreciate the time they invested in ensuring the policy questions raised were thoughtfully addressed. Just as we said with regard to the actions taken by Mayor Bissen, we believe the Commission acted in what they judged was in the best interests of the Maui Police Department and our community. Further, the Commission’s actions today help clarify that if one of our officers faces unproven allegations, they will not face professional consequences by being placed on administrative leave.”
Numerous letters were sent to the commission both in favor of placing the chief on administrative leave and against it.
Maui County spokesperson Laksmi Abraham also said: “Despite attempts to frame this as a personal dispute between the Chief and the Mayor, the recommendation was a standard procedural step, aligned with established precedent within this administration and always taken with the community’s best interest in mind.”
The mayor also said: “As public servants, we are held to the highest standards of accountability and integrity. Leadership is not just about defending one’s character but about making decisions that prioritize the stability and well-being of the department above any individual.
He added that the situation has placed “a significant burden on the chief and the entire department,” and shows a need to prioritize “institutional integrity over individual circumstances.”
