Photo ID: L to R: First Row: Grubbs; Felder; King; Logdon; Cole; Whatley. Second Row: McDermott; Jarrett; Martin; Farmer; Caldwell.
Title: SCDPS Recognizes Outstanding Troopers for 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2006
CONTACT: Sgt. R.K. Hughes, 803-896-8164
SCDPS RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING TROOPERS FOR 2005
COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director James Schweitzer and Highway Patrol Col. Russell Roark today presented awards to troopers from around the state for their exceptional service in 2005.
2005 Trooper of the Year:
Corporal Nicklous W. King (Troop 7): Cpl. King began his career with the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 1992. After becoming a corporal, King attended PEER training and became a part of the department’s statewide Peer Team, which counsels and assists other law enforcement in crisis situations. It was this specialized training that was used on May 7, 2005. Highway Patrol Communications issued a call over the radio indicating that an individual was attempting to take his life on I-95 in Orangeburg County by jumping out in front of several vehicles. King quickly went to the location, finding an individual in the roadway of I-95 who appeared to be suicidal. Using his Peer Team training, King was able to talk the subject out of the roadway, comforting and counseling him until emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene. Corporal King’s quick response to this situation saved an individual’s life. He performs his duties at a level that encourages peak performance from his subordinates while at the same time possessing traits of loyalty and dependability toward the organization.
Troop 1:
Corporal Ricky Dean Grubbs
Corporal Grubbs began his career in 1976 with assignment to Richland County. He continued as an enforcement trooper until he was assigned to Patrol Training where he assisted with physical and classroom training for new recruits and in-service training for certified police officers. In 1989, he left the Patrol to pursue career advancement with a private firm. In 2000, he was rehired by the agency with assignment to the State Transport Police until he was appointed to the Patrol in 2003. He recently investigated a hit-and-run that occurred in Kershaw County in 1987. His knowledge, patience and persistence enabled him to not only solve the case but to locate the vehicle that caused the collision. He also assisted the Lee County Sheriff’s Department with the reconstruction of a drive-by shooting that resulted in a collision. Through his efforts, the case was solved, the vehicle identified and the gunman charged with murder.
Troop 2:
Lance Corporal J. P. Farmer
Lance Corporal J.P. Farmer joined the ranks of the South Carolina Highway Patrol in July 1998. Since joining the Patrol, he has excelled as a trooper and earned the respect of those he serves. Last September, Lance Corporal Farmer was deployed to Mississippi to provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Along with other law enforcement officers, he escorted military vehicles and supplies for a 16-hour journey. After arriving in Mississippi, Lance Corporal Farmer logged a 24-hour day assisting the Mississippi State Highway Patrol with their duties. Each day of deployment, Lance Corporal Farmer tirelessly assisted local and state agencies to restore order and assist those affected by the storm. L/Cpl. Farmer’s work ethic, initiative and professionalism have won him the respect of his fellow troopers, other law enforcement agencies and the community.
Troop 3:
Senior Trooper M. A. McDermott: Senior Trooper M.A. McDermott is well-respected by his fellow employees as well as his superiors. He goes beyond the call of duty and can be depended on at any time he is called, with little or no notice. S/Tpr. McDermott has excelled in drug arrests and stolen car recoveries. His activity for 2005 included six multiple drug cases, currency seizures, as well as the recovery of stolen vehicles. Also during 2005, S/Tpr. McDermott assisted the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office with a hostage situation in which the hostage was, in the end, released safely. McDermott was also named Anderson County Trooper of the Year by his peers.
Troop 4:
L/Cpl. Mark Christian Caldwell: L/Cpl. Caldwell graduated Patrol school in 1997 and was assigned to Troop 4/Lancaster County. L/Cpl. Caldwell has an excellent work ethic and is well-respected by his supervisors, fellow troopers, and other law enforcement officers. He currently serves as a training officer for new recruits and can be relied upon to instill positive reinforcement to Patrol training as well as DPS policies and procedures. He consistently leads his team in enforcement activities and can be counted on to stay focused and support the Patrol’s fatality reduction efforts by using his time wisely.
Troop 5:
Corporal D.E. Whatley: Corporal Whatley has been with the Highway Patrol since February of 1989. He served a year in Iraq and returned to work in April of 2005. In May of that year, a woman was stabbed and beaten to death in her Florence apartment. She was in her third trimester of pregnancy. The baby did not survive the attack. Cpl. Whatley was given the information on her missing vehicle. Cpl. Whatley actively searched for and found the vehicle. He radioed for assistance and followed the vehicle. The vehicle stopped and the murder suspect fled from the vehicle. Corporal Whatley pursued the subject and apprehended him. Eric Dale Tessner was turned over to the Florence County Sheriff’s Office to face two counts of murder and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Troop 6:
L/Cpl. David C. Martin: L/Cpl. Martin is a 12-year veteran of the Highway Patrol. On July 6, 2005, L/Cpl. Martin responded with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office to a domestic disturbance in Waverly Place Apartments on Dorchester Road. L/Cpl. Martin became aware that a female was inside the apartment and that it appeared to be a hostage situation. The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office attempted to contact the apartment by telephone, but was unable to do so. L/Cpl. Martin arrived with two deputies of the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. He advised the deputies that he was going to attempt to look in the apartment. When he did, he observed a female sitting next to him visibly upset. It appeared to L/Cpl. Martin that the male was waiting on the officers to approach the door. He communicated this to the other officers, and they took positions of cover outside the apartment waiting for additional units. After a short stand-off, the female was removed safely from the apartment, and the suspect was taken into custody
Troop 7: ALSO TROOPER OF THE YEAR – SEE ABOVE
Corporal Nicklous W. King
Troop 8:
Lance Corporal Christian P. Logdon (narrative omitted in the interest of the trooper’s safety)
Troop 9/MAIT:
Corporal Garry Jarrett: Cpl. Jarrett is a 17-year veteran of the Highway Patrol. He has received over 2,200 hours in collision reconstruction specific training and is an accredited reconstructionist through the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction. Cpl. Jarrett has been recognized as a skilled Kinesics’ interviewer/interrogator and has received numerous confessions due to his skills. He has also been trained as an instructor in this field due to his talents. Cpl. Jarrett was selected to train and conduct crash animations using the latest technology and software for the Highway Patrol MAIT unit. With Cpl. Jarrett’s technical abilities, he has produced several animations that have allowed prosecutors to present a crash reconstruction in video that clearly demonstrates the dynamics and effects of the crashes. With this ability, the Highway Patrol collision investigation has been raised to a greater professional level.
Troop 10/Insurance Enforcement:
Lance Corporal Carl Clifford Cole: L/Cpl. C.C. Cole originally joined the Patrol on September 9, 1973, and was a member of the Highway Patrol investigative unit from 1986 until his retirement in 1993. Cole was the 1988 Trooper of the Year for the Dealer Investigative Unit and was assigned to the FBI undercover operation “Quittin’ Time” from 1989-1991. L/Cpl. Cole has been a member of the SC Highway Patrol Insurance Enforcement Unit since the inception of the unit in 2002. L/Cpl. Cole led the state in 2005 in confiscating and clearing suspended tags for cancellation of insurance.
Troop 11/Highway Patrol Training:
Sergeant Art Felder: Sgt. Felder continuously finds new and better ways of performing his job. He clearly understands purposes, objectives, practices and procedures of the department. His leadership capabilities enable him to face problems with confidence and assurance. He displays an ability to learn rapidly and adapt quickly to changing situations. Sgt. Felder was the key person in the past few Patrol classes in producing the video for the graduation. He spent countless hours taping footage of the various training sessions. He then had to edit it so the Academy could finalize it. He was also the day-to-day supervisor for Basic 81. Sgt. Felder develops the annual lesson plan for Firearms In-Service. In addition, he compiles the data from all the Use of Force Reports to determine what types of defensive tactics and firearms’ courses will be implemented.
** individual photos and news releases will follow to troopers’ hometown newspapers.