Ceremony salutes efforts to save lives on Kentucky roadways
FRANKFORT, KY – On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, state officials recognized more than 100 state and local law enforcement officers, along with child passenger safety personnel, for their outstanding efforts to safeguard drivers and passengers on Kentucky highways.
The annual Governor’s Occupant Protection Enforcement Awards, held at the Campbell House in Lexington, highlighted the efforts of Kentuckians representing 130 different agencies.
“Both our law enforcement professionals and child passenger safety experts play a crucial role in protecting our families, by making sure everyone is properly secured with seat belts and that children are in the appropriate car seats and boosters,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Their vital work is saving lives, and as Governor and a dad, I am grateful for their unwavering dedication to our state and its residents.”
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) presented the awards to those with the most occupant protection citations in each agency and in each division from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Award recipients received a plaque, while the top division winners were presented with the Highway Safety All-Star Award – a commemorative baseball bat from Louisville Slugger. There are six divisions, broken down by number of officers within the agency, and a division for Kentucky State Police:
- Division I 1-10 officers
- Division II 11-25 officers
- Division III 26-50 officers
- Division IV 51-100 officers
- Division V 100+ officers
- Division VI Kentucky State Police
In addition to honoring law enforcement, KOHS also presented awards for Technician, Instructor and CPS Team of the Year.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. addressed the attendees and praised their efforts to save lives in their communities.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. addressing the attendees
“Enforcing the law isn’t about raising the number of citations; it’s about encouraging safe driving behaviors,” Commissioner Burnett said. “Our aim is to see fewer citations, not more, because that means lives are being saved. At the end of the day, it’s about every driver on Kentucky roadways making it home safe to their families.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts, when worn correctly, are proven to reduce the risk of fatal injuries to front-seat occupants by 45% and by 60% in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans. Also, according to NHTSA, properly installed child restraints reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers in passenger cars. In light trucks, SUVs and minivans, properly deployed child restraints reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 58% for infants and 59% for toddlers.
Each year more than half of those killed on Kentucky’s roadways are not properly restrained in a seat belt, car seat or booster seat. Kentucky’s current seat belt usage rate is 86.9%.
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Child Passenger Safety Awards |
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Technician of the Year Awards |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Jenny Pile |
Breckinridge County Health Department |
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Instructor of the Year |
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Joshua Hinkle |
Prestonsburg Police Department |
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Team of the Year |
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Nicholasville Fire Department |
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Law Enforcement Safety Awards |
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Division 1 |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Capt. Mitchell Alford |
Harlan Police Department |
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Chief Aaron C. Ashby |
Adairville Police Department |
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Deputy Sheriff David Carroll |
Lyon County Sheriff’s Office |
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Patrolman Brian Coleman |
Calvert City Police Department |
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Chief Deputy Jamie Ferrie |
LaRue County Sheriff’s Office |
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Officer Phillip D Frazier |
Stanton Police Department |
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Master Police Officer Doug Gay |
Richmond Police Department |
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Deputy William Hendrix |
Bourbon County Sheriff |
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Police Officer Wesley Hicks |
Cave City Police Department |
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Chief Brandon Hollingsworth |
Pineville Police Department |
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Chief Deputy Brian Locknane |
Pendleton County Sheriff's Office |
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Officer Tyler Mitcham |
Brandenburg Police Department |
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Patrolman Teddy B. Newsome |
Louisa Police Department |
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Deputy James W. Parsons |
Garrard County Sheriff’s Office |
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Deputy Jacob Patton |
Scott County Sheriff’s Office |
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Officer Jacob Tyler Purvis |
Owingsville Police Department |
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Officer Andrew Regan |
Greensburg Police Department |
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Chief James Richardson |
Hodgenville Police Department |
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Officer Billy Roberts |
Taylor Mill Police Department |
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Patrolman Michael Scott Robinson |
Jackson City Police Department |
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Patrol Officer John Root |
Manchester Police Department |
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Deputy Dustin D. Saylor |
Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office |
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Chief of Police Ben Smith |
Millersburg Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Chadwick Spence |
Raceland Police Department |
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Deputy Kenneth Vincent |
Trigg County Sheriff’s Office |
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Deputy Sheriff Lance Watson |
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office |
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Officer H. Seth Whitaker |
Whitesburg Police Department |
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Officer Ryan Wielgus |
Wilder Police Department |
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Deputy Thomas Wilson |
Menifee County Sheriff Office |
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Division 2 |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Officer Bradley Aubin |
Mt. Washington Police Department |
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Officer Charles Boeschenstein |
Southgate Police Department |
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Officer John Brooks |
LaGrange Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Eugene Cain |
Leitchfield Police Department |
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Officer David Clark |
Scottsville Police Department |
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Sgt. Garret Clark |
Graves County Sheriff's Office |
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Patrolman Patrick Coleman |
Pikeville Police Department |
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Deputy Sheriff Cory Cornett |
Clark County Sheriff's Office |
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Officer Jon Cottle |
Morehead Police Department |
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Lt. Barry Cowan |
Middlesboro Police Department |
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Patrolman Tyler Creech |
The City of Edgewood Police Department |
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Officer Michael Dennis |
Hillview Police Department |
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Sgt. Justin Dockery |
Central City Police Department |
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Deputy Nicholas Dues |
Calloway County Sheriff's Office |
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Patrolman Adam Fauver |
Greenville Police Department |
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Deputy John Ferguson |
Mason County Sheriff’s Office |
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Patrol Officer James Fetty |
Simpsonville Police Department |
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Officer Chad Foley |
Williamsburg Police Department |
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Detective Jess Hamblin |
Fort Mitchell Police Department |
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Deputy Wyatt Harper |
Simpson County Sheriff's Office |
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Detective Dalton Hayes |
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office |
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Sgt. Johnny Holbert |
Mount Sterling Police Department |
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Patrolman Timothy Jackson |
Grayson Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Andrew Jefferson |
Maysville Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Zachary Johnson |
Campbellsville Police Department |
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Patrolman Christopher Kohut |
Flatwoods Police Department |
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Patrolman Joseph Krull |
Cold Spring Police Department |
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Patrolman Geoff Lucas |
Fort Thomas Police Department |
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Deputy Ron Luster |
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office |
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Sgt. Michael Lyon |
Bellevue Police Department |
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Officer Kirk Mays |
Lancaster Police Department |
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Deputy Mike Meece |
Oldham County Sheriff |
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Patrolman Jonathan Milburn |
Stanford Police Department |
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Sgt. Nathan Nogueras |
Alexandria Police Department |
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Patrolman Charles Patterson |
Barbourville Police Department |
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Deputy Noah Ritchie |
Laurel County Sheriff’s Office |
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Patrolman Oscar Sanchez |
Elsmere Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Dakota Sexton |
City of Lawrenceburg Police Department |
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Patrolman Christopher Steward |
Lakeside Park-Crestview Hills Police Department |
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Patrolman Keegan Williams |
Prestonsburg Police Department |
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Division 3 |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Deputy Sheriff Chris Beavers |
Marshall County Sheriff’s Office |
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Officer Thomas Britton |
Kenton County Police |
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Officer Samuel Broomall |
Campbell County Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Jeffery Childress |
Glasgow Police Department |
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Patrolman Wesley Craycraft |
Winchester Police Department |
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Deputy Sheriff Scot Daniels |
Madison County Sheriff’s Office |
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Officer Samuel “Taylor” Davidson |
Paris Police Department |
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Detective Joshua Doerr |
Bardstown Police Department |
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Deputy Daniel B. Embry |
Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office |
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Cpl. Jacob Gould |
Daviess County Sheriff’s Office |
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Deputy Jerry Hardin |
Nelson County Sheriff’s Office |
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Trooper Josh Jones |
Kentucky State Police Post 10 |
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Officer Nicholas Kerney |
Harlan Radcliff Police Department |
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Officer Cody King |
Somerset Police Department |
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Officer Andrew Lawson |
London Police Department |
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Deputy Brandon Purnell |
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office |
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Sgt. Brandon Record |
Danville Police Department |
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Sgt. Matt Reed |
Winchester Police Department |
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Officer Jose Roman Jr. |
Mayfield Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Matthew Semler |
Erlanger Police |
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Sgt. Mark Wheeler |
Boyd County Sheriff |
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Patrol Officer Danny Williams |
Murray Police Department |
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Officer David Williams |
Oldham County Police Dept |
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Deputy Sheriff Quintin Wright |
Logan County Sheriff’s Office |
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Sgt. Jeremy Younger |
Shelbyville Police Department |
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Division 4 |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Patrol Deputy Louis Armstrong |
Christian County Sheriff's Office |
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Officer William Conn |
University of Kentucky Police Department |
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Officer James Frint |
Ashland Police Department |
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Officer Aaron Gutermuth |
Jeffersontown Police Department |
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Officer Michael Martinez |
Hopkinsville Police Department |
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Deputy Kenneth W. Mayfield |
Warren County Sheriff’s Office |
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Officer Thomas Minter |
Elizabethtown Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Daniel Pennaman |
Henderson Police Department |
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Patrol Officer Anthony Pinkston |
Florence Police Department |
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Officer Dustin Scott |
Madisonville Police Department |
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Officer Keith Thuline |
Paducah Police Department |
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Officer Jerry Wise |
Frankfort Police Department |
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Division 5 |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Sgt. David Flannery |
Lexington Police Department |
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Deputy Teddy Melton |
Boone County Sheriff’s Office |
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Patrolman Michael Roby |
Owensboro Police Department |
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Specialist Doug Ullrich |
Covington Police Department |
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Detective Raymond Wonka |
Louisville Metro Police Department |
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Division 6 |
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Name of Nominee |
Agency Name |
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Trooper “R” Toney Allen |
Kentucky State Police - Post 7 |
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Trooper Mike Armstrong |
Kentucky State Police - Post 8 |
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Sgt. Joseph R. Bartolotti |
Kentucky State Police - Post 2 |
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Senior Trooper Ricky Cross |
Kentucky State Police - Post 15 |
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Master Trooper Eric Hines |
Kentucky State Police - Post 4 |
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Trooper Chris Johnson |
Kentucky State Police - Post 6 |
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Inspector II Justin Kilgore |
Kentucky State Police CVE East |
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Trooper Colt McGuire |
Kentucky State Police - Post 5 |
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Trooper Samuel Mizner |
Kentucky State Police - Post 16 |
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Trooper Ricky Newsom |
Kentucky State Police - Post 9 |
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Senior Trooper Derral Redwine |
Kentucky State Police - Post 1 |
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Master Trooper Graham Rutherford |
Kentucky State Police - Post 3 |
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Trooper Jordan Sammons |
Kentucky State Police - Post 14 |
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Trooper Justin Vanhook |
Kentucky State Police - Post 11 |
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Senior Trooper Branden Watts |
Kentucky State Police - Post 13 |
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Trooper William Watts |
Kentucky State Police - Post 12 |
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