Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Passersby quietly placed flowers on the tribute, many too emotional to talk. One was a fellow Maui police officer who sometimes worked with Officer O on patrol.

“She was a great partner, professional,” he said.

According to the department, Officer O was wounded while responding to a terroristic threatening call at approximately 8:26 p.m. Friday at the Paia Sugar Mill. The caller reported an unknown person had trespassed on the property and fired a weapon at them.

Police said the responding officers encountered an armed suspect, who fired on the officers, and a bullet struck Officer O in the chest. Police returned fire and shot the suspect — identified as Clembert Alii Kaneholani, 38 — in the lower body.

Kaneholani was taken into custody and given medical treatment. He is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree and four firearms offenses.

Preliminary Hearing

Kaneholoni made his initial appearance in Wailuku District Court on Monday, and the courtroom was packed with more than 50 police officers and friends of Officer O.

Kaneholani was represented by deputy public defender Zachary Raidmae, who waived the reading of the charges against him.

A person convicted of killing a law enforcement officer in the line of duty could face a sentence of life in prison without parole.

Judge Annalisa Bernard Lee decided to allow news media coverage with cameras in the courtroom.

The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for Wednesday while Kaneholani is being held without bail.

Previous Charges

According to court records, Kaneholani was convicted of several crimes between 2005 and 2015, including disorderly conduct, reckless driving and two thefts. He was also charged with a weapons felony and eventually convicted of second-degree theft.

In the theft case, Kaneholani, 38, was initially charged with the first-degree theft of a rifle and a weapons violation in an incident on Kauai in August 2015. Court records show the weapons charge was dismissed with prejudice, and Kaneholani pleaded no contest to second-degree theft.

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but credited for 33 days he had already served, so he didn’t have to serve any additional jail time. The judge also sentenced him to four years of probation, which Kaneholani completed in September 2019.

A Call For Action

Talking briefly to the news media Monday, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said he plans to speak in more detail about the suspect’s history after the preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

However, the police chief expressed a clear position on convicted felons having access to handguns.

“If I may, I will say this, though. Nobody that’s an ex-felon should have the ability to have a handgun, and you can rest assured that I will be absolutely working with the governor and others,” Pelletier said. “If we have to have an ‘Officer O Bill,’ where we’ve got some mandatory sentences, we’re going to do that.”

Pelletier said he’d like to do something concrete because the situation is “unacceptable. Period.”

Killed In The Line Of Duty

According to the State Organization of Police Officers, Officer O is one of two female officers killed by gunfire in Hawaii on record and the first on-duty officer killed by gunfire in Maui in nearly 70 years.

There’s an account of Maui Police Officer William F. Roback being killed on April 13, 1958, while escorting an injured patient, according to the Office Down Memorial Page.

The man had threatened his family, and during the ride in the police car, he turned against Roback, removing Roback’s police revolver and shooting him and another officer who survived.

On July 11, 1952, Maui police officer Frank A. F. Kong was shot to death by two escaping prisoners from the Maui County Jail, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

According to the Maui Police Department, Officer O was a five-year veteran of the force known among her colleagues for her courage, honor and dedication.

Officer O began her service with Maui police in 2020, first working in the Kihei patrol district before moving to the Wailuku patrol district in December 2021.

She also was a member of the Honor Guard and often volunteered at the busiest times for the department, including stepping in to help with calls for service on her days off and outside of her regular shifts.

Officer O also supported the dispatch team during her off time, and she was praised in the community for her professionalism, courtesy and tact. She was awarded the Certificate of Merit for her work Upcountry during the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

Maui police said that in her free time, O enjoyed being with her niece and nephews, and her family was her top priority.

“Our department is heartbroken,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said previously. “We have lost one of our finest — an officer who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our community. She was a hero, and we will ensure she is honored with the reverence she deserves. Our deepest condolences go out to her family, loved ones, and fellow officers during this time of profound loss.”

The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers said funeral arrangements would be made by the family, but the union is ready and willing to assist in any way it can.

For those who wish to show their support for Officer O and loved ones, officials with the Maui Police Department said funeral and memorial service arrangements will be shared once they are finalized.

In an update, published by the Maui News on August 2, 2022, the following was added to the evolving story of Office O:

In an October 2022 Maui Police Department recruiting video “Why We Serve,” 

Officer O said she joined the force because she wanted to be an inspiration and show young women in her native Samoa, where employment prospects are limited, that there is more to life than simply seeking a career in the military.

She had nieces in Samoa and recalled living a village-type of life. She said serving as a police officer was gratifying because when police officers go home at the end of the day they know they have helped the community.

O said at the time that she hoped to get a bachelor’s degree but wanted to experience a few years in patrol before deciding what type of officer she wanted to be.

Officer O had served with the Maui County Police Department for five years and was assigned to District 1 patrol Division Bravo Watch shift. She was awarded the Certificate of Merit in 2023.

She also was a member of the Honor Guard and often volunteered at the busiest times for the department, including stepping in to help with calls for service on her days off and outside of her regular shifts.

Officer O also supported the dispatch team during her off time, and she was praised in the community for her professionalism, courtesy and tact. She was awarded the Certificate of Merit for her work Upcountry during the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

Maui police said that in her free time, O enjoyed being with her niece and nephews, and her family was her top priority.

[Samoa News is looking for information about Officer O’s family roots/ ties in American Samoa, including her family name and village(s). Please contact us at samoanews.com if you have any info.]