‘We continue to fight’: Maui police honor fallen officer nearly one year after her death

News admin August 12, 2026 0 Comments

‘We continue to fight’: Maui police honor fallen officer nearly one year after her death

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Maui Police Department officers and community members gathered along Honoapi’ilani Highway in Lahaina Monday to honor a fallen officer days ahead of the one-year anniversary of her death.

Officer Suzanne O, 37, was killed in the line of duty on Aug. 15, 2025, while responding to a call in Paia.

“She gave the ultimate sacrifice by laying her life down for the community, and we have an obligation to her to ensure that we never forget about her, but we continue to fight and support her where we can,” said MPD Chief John Pelletier.

Push for legislative action

Officers and advocates are pushing for stronger protections under the proposed “Officer Suzanne O Bill.” Senate Bill 2575 failed to pass in the last legislative session.

The bill would make it a felony to possess or carry a firearm while under the influence of a controlled substance or while subject to a protective or restraining order.

It would also impose a mandatory 20-year minimum sentence for convicted felons who use guns to commit another crime, similar to federal guidelines.

The department is pushing for the bill’s revival when the new legislature convenes in January.

“We know that the individual that killed Suzanne had a protective order, and we know that that individual is a convicted individual. And so we wanted to take that incident and make sure that could never happen again,” Pelletier said.

The suspect, Clembert Alii Kaneholani, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree murder. His trial is currently scheduled for September.