Class 139 Completes Walters State Regional Law Enforcement Academy

Fifty-five new law enforcement officers are now ready to protect and serve.

Fifty-five New Officers Earn Certifcate

Fifty-five cadets graduated from the Walters State Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy on March 13. These cadets mark the 139th class at the academy.

Based at the college’s Niswonger Campus in Greeneville, the academy is an intensive nine-week, 480-hour program. Upon completion, students are awarded the technical certificate in Basic Law Enforcement Officer Education and are eligible to apply for certification by the Police Officers Standards and Training Commission as a certified peace officer in the state of Tennessee after being employed by a law enforcement agency.

The program is part of the East Tennessee Regional Law Enforcement Academy established at Walters State by the POST Commission and is part of the college’s Public Safety Center of Emphasis, a designation recognizing its outstanding record in career preparation.

During the graduation ceremony, awards were presented to outstanding graduates.
Academic Award: Noah, Ortiz, Robertson County Sheriff’s Office
Defensive Tactics Award: Nathaniel Wert, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office
J.R. Ensor Firearms Award: William Russell, Johnson City Police Department
Charles Edward Baskette Memorial Award for Courage and Determination: Angel Rushton, 
   Clarksville Police Department
Best Athlete Award: Tyson McFall, Pigeon Forge Police Department
Defensive and Tactical Driving Award: Alex Peery, Mt. Juliet Police Department
Commissioner David Purkey Leadership Award: Kendall Yoder, Mt. Juliet Police Department
Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Award: Isiah Bragg, Morristown Police Department
Tennessee Sheriff’s Association Award: Jared Daniels, Washington County Sheriff’s Department. 

Graduates are listed by department below.
Austin Peay State University Police Department: Lashon Adams of Clarksville.
Baileyton Police Department: Elisha Heins of Rogersville.
Bean Station Police Department: Zachary Woods of Barbourville, Kentucky.
Bristol Police Department: Houston Rutherford of Bristol, Virginia; Jacob Winters of Bristol, Tennessee.
Clarksville Police Department: Haden Drake, Angel Rushton, Micah Trescot, all of Clarksville; Shane Sommers of Dover; Garrett Kilgore of Hopkinsville.
Cocke County Sheriff’s Office: Samuel Reece of Cosby; Benny Shelton of White Pine.
Greeneville Police Department: Eric Brown Jr. of Afton; Daniel Conner, Jordan Lundy and Thomas Roberts, all of Greeneville.
Hamblen County: Andy Tellez Cervantes of Jefferson City; Ashley Klein of Morristown; Makaila Gambrell of Bean Station.
Hawkins County: Elijah Sword of Rogersville; Jayden Goins of Sugoinsville.
Johnson City Police Department: Luke Abel of Jonesborough; William Russell of Kingsport; and Julia Winebarger of Laurel Bloomery.
LaFollette Police Department: Jerry Campbell of Newcomb.
Lewis County Sheriff’s Office: Joshua Warren of Linden.
Maury County Sheriff’s Office: Paul Fann of Columbia.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office: Stefan Hinton of Erin.
Morristown Police Department: Jessie Eidson and Justin Jimenez of Morristown; Isiah Bragg of Rogersville; and Harland Muller of Russellville.
Mt. Juliet Police Department: Ronnie Hill of Hermitage; Kendall Yoder of Lebanon; Kwamez Kirby of Mt. Juliet; and Alex Peery of Smyrna. 
Pigeon Forge Police Department: Tyson McFall of Sevierville.
Robertson County Sheriff’s Office: Noah Ortiz of Springfield.
Selmer Police Department: Tanner Young of Savannah.
Sevier County Sheriff’s Office: Cayden Waters of Kodak; Branden Dukes and Nathaniel Wert, both of Sevierville; and Shawn Cahill of Seymour.
Sevierville Police Department: Jenna Johnson and Austin Norton, both of Kodak; Jakob Dickson of Pigeon Forge.
Smyrna Police Department: Austin Yankowy of Murfreesboro, Luis Rondon and Shawn Campbell, both of Smyrna.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office: Nathaniel Sayler of Church Hill; Kandice Brown and Jon Cantu, both of Kingsport.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office: Jared Daniels of Johnson City; Gabriel Douglas of Jonesborough.
Wayne County: Levi Vanderford and Cayson Gobble of Lawrenceburg.