"Treason to the country": Maui police arrested by military conspiracy claim erupts in wake of viral TikTok video

As conspiracies about the Maui wildfires continue to take social media by storm, a new claim has come into being. A TikToker went viral after announcing that ex-special US military forces were arresting the local police. TikToker @peterbrent_72 went viral across social networking sites after sharing the news. He claimed that Maui police were arrested by the “ex-military elite special force members” for “treason to the country.” He also added:

“Do you think they were wildfires? Definitely not, if you do, you’re an idiot. Someone that we all know, who is on TV almost every night in America, he’s not Trump but he is almost as famous and he used to own a professional sports team, they’re in Maui. They’ve been over a week… two days ago he calls my manager and says, “You’re not going to believe this s*it, the craziest thing I have ever seen, we’re here trying to help out the people and we see six of those raft, military type raft you’ve seen on TV… six of them come flying onto the docks.”

The TikToker went on to explain that the “special force” “monster dudes” took over the docks and the local police who were present at the scene. They reportedly threatened the police with their rifles and asked them to put their guns down. They subsequently arrested the local police officers. The TikToker said:

“These guys aren’t acting on US military. These are ex-military guys. They start talking to some guys, they’re ex-Navy seals. They’re rangers, they got patches on.”

He claimed that the ex-commanders told the local officers that they were present in Maui to help the citizens. He ended the video by saying:

“This island looks worse than I have ever seen. He said that the people are going mad, people are about to start and cause a revolution. They are pissed! They are furious.”

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TikTok video goes viral as reports of military personnel helping Maui citizens make their way online

According to KITV 4, several military members arrived on the island to help local police officers conduct search and recovery operations, secure restricted sites, provide help in donation distribution areas, and also provide support to survivors.

This comes after it was reported that the local police department was facing staffing shortages. Lt. Nick Krau, the chair of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, claimed that there are less than 400 officers.

Meanwhile, Col. Hatcher, the Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force 50, which includes military members and National Guard personnel, announced:

“While we’re out there operating, you, the vast majority of the public and the people who are impacted in Lahaina are very appreciative of our soldiers who are out there working, They come in, they say you know, thank you for your service.”

The tragic Maui-Lahaina wildfires began on August 8 and spread across 2,170 acres. It killed over 100 people and destroyed more than 2000 buildings. Many islanders have lost their homes since then.