John Chell

John M. Chell is an American law enforcement officer who served as the chief of department for the New York City Police Department (NYPD) from 2024 to 2025. He held various leadership roles within the NYPD, including chief of patrol, and has been involved in public safety operations, media relations, and departmental controversies.

Career

Chief of Patrol John M. Chell served as the chief of patrol for the New York City Police Department (NYPD) until he was succeeded by Phillip Rivera on December 31, 2024. His role involved overseeing public safety operations and media relations.

In April 2024, Chell faced scrutiny during an interview with WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer. Lehrer questioned him about his approach to responding to media criticism, specifically concerning allegations that his social media activity intimidated journalists. Chell denied these claims, emphasizing his intention to counter misinformation. Lehrer also raised a 2017 incident where Chell shot and killed a man during a car chase. While official reports classified the shooting as accidental, differing accounts led to a civil jury awarding $2.5 million to the deceased's family. Chell described the incident as a "tragic accident" and noted that he was cleared by the district attorney at the time.

Chell has also faced accusations of violating the New York City Conflict of Interest Law through his social media activity. A group of 39 Democratic politicians criticized him for allegedly using his official NYPD account to attack lawmakers and journalists. The group called for disciplinary actions, citing concerns over his rhetoric and its implications for public trust.

Chief of Department In 2024, Chell was appointed by commissioner Jessica Tisch as the interim chief of department for the NYPD following the resignation of Jeffrey Maddrey. He is the highest-ranking uniformed position in the department. He was formally appointed to the role on December 31, 2024.

In a civil trial in 2017, Bovell's family was awarded $1.5 million dollars, after the jury determined that Chell had fired at Bovell intentionally.