COL Donald Capello began his career with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office in 1992 in the Corrections Division. He transferred to Uniform Patrol in 1995 where he achieved the rank of Sergeant in 1999. In 2003, he was promoted to Lieutenant in the Patrol Division where he served until 2011 when he transferred to the Training Division to serve as an instructor. In 2016, he was promoted to Captain, serving as the Director of Training and Crisis Response Team Commander. He is currently a Deputy Chief overseeing Criminal Operations for the Sheriff’s Office.

COL Capello graduated from the LSU Basic Training Academy in 1994, and is also a graduate of Leadership Ascension and the FBI National Academy. In 2000, he was selected as a member of the Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Team and was elected as a Regional Representative for the Louisiana Tactical Police Officers Association in 2010. He served as President of Louisiana Tactical Police Officer Association and is the current President of the Louisiana Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. COL Capello has obtained numerous instructor certifications, including POST Firearms Instructor, PPCT Defensive Tactics Instructor, Verbal De-Escalation, POST Range Safety Officer, Active Shooter Instructor, FBI Instructor Development, Taser Instructor, OC Aerosol Instructor, Less Lethal Munitions Instructor, and Critical Incident Patrol Response Instructor.