Law enforcement, child passenger safety experts honored for safeguarding drivers, passengers

State officials recognized more than 100 state and local law enforcement officers, including NKY 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.

“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%.

Law Enforcement Safety Awards

Division 1 Name of Nominee Agency Name
Capt. Mitchell Alford Harlan Police Department
Chief Aaron C. Ashby Adairville Police Department
Deputy Sheriff David Carroll Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
Patrolman Brian Coleman Calvert City Police Department
Chief Deputy Jamie Ferrie LaRue County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Phillip D Frazier Stanton Police Department
Master Police Officer Doug Gay Richmond Police Department
Deputy William Hendrix Bourbon County Sheriff
Police Officer Wesley Hicks Cave City Police Department
Chief Brandon Hollingsworth Pineville Police Department
Chief Deputy Brian Locknane Pendleton County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Tyler Mitcham Brandenburg Police Department
Patrolman Teddy B. Newsome Louisa Police Department
Deputy James W. Parsons Garrard County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Jacob Patton Scott County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Jacob Tyler Purvis Owingsville Police Department
Officer Andrew Regan
Greensburg Police Department Chief James Richardson
Hodgenville Police Department
Officer Billy Roberts Taylor Mill Police Department
Patrolman Michael Scott Robinson Jackson City Police Department
Patrol Officer John Root Manchester Police Department Deputy Dustin D. Saylor
Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Police Ben Smith
Millersburg Police Department Patrol Officer
Chadwick Spence Raceland Police Department
Deputy Kenneth Vincent Trigg County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Sheriff Lance Watson Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
Officer H. Seth Whitaker Whitesburg Police Department
Officer Ryan Wielgus Wilder Police Department
Deputy Thomas Wilson Menifee County Sheriff Office


Division 2

Name of Nominee Agency Name
Officer Bradley Aubin Mt. Washington Police Department
Officer Charles Boeschenstein Southgate Police Department
Officer John Brooks LaGrange Police Department
Patrol Officer Eugene Cain Leitchfield Police Department
Officer David Clark Scottsville Police Department
Sgt. Garret Clark Graves County Sheriff’s Office
Patrolman Patrick Coleman Pikeville Police Department
Deputy Sheriff Cory Cornett Clark County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Jon Cottle Morehead Police Department
Lt. Barry Cowan Middlesboro Police Department
Patrolman Tyler Creech The City of Edgewood Police Department
Officer Michael Dennis Hillview Police Department
Sgt. Justin Dockery Central City Police Department
Deputy Nicholas Dues Calloway County Sheriff’s Office
Patrolman Adam Fauver Greenville Police Department
Deputy John Ferguson Mason County Sheriff’s Office
Patrol Officer James Fetty Simpsonville Police Department
Officer Chad Foley Williamsburg Police Department
Detective Jess Hamblin Fort Mitchell Police Department
Deputy Wyatt Harper Simpson County Sheriff’s Office
Detective Dalton Hayes Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
Sgt. Johnny Holbert Mount Sterling Police Department
Patrolman Timothy Jackson Grayson Police Department
Patrol Officer Andrew Jefferson Maysville Police Department
Patrol Officer Zachary Johnson Campbellsville Police Department
Patrolman Christopher Kohut Flatwoods Police Department Patrolman
Joseph Krull Cold Spring Police Department
Patrolman Geoff Lucas Fort Thomas Police Department
Deputy Ron Luster Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
Sgt. Michael Lyon Bellevue Police Department
Officer Kirk Mays Lancaster Police Department
Deputy Mike Meece Oldham County Sheriff
Patrolman Jonathan Milburn Stanford Police Department
Sgt. Nathan Nogueras Alexandria Police Department
Patrolman Charles Patterson Barbourville Police Department
Deputy Noah Ritchie Laurel County Sheriff’s Office
Patrolman Oscar Sanchez Elsmere Police Department
Patrol Officer Dakota Sexton City of Lawrenceburg Police Department
Patrolman Christopher Steward Lakeside Park-Crestview Hills Police Department
Patrolman Keegan Williams Prestonsburg Police Department


Division 3

Name of Nominee Agency Name
Deputy Sheriff Chris Beavers Marshall County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Thomas Britton Kenton County Police
Officer Samuel Broomall Campbell County Police Department
Patrol Officer Jeffery Childress Glasgow Police Department
Patrolman Wesley Craycraft Winchester Police Department
Deputy Sheriff Scot Daniels Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Samuel “Taylor” Davidson Paris Police Department
Detective Joshua Doerr Bardstown Police Department
Deputy Daniel B. Embry Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office
Cpl. Jacob Gould Daviess County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Jerry Hardin Nelson County Sheriff’s Office
Trooper Josh Jones Kentucky State Police Post 10
Officer Nicholas Kerney Harlan Radcliff Police Department
Officer Cody King Somerset Police Department
Officer Andrew Lawson London Police Department
Deputy Brandon Purnell Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Sgt. Brandon Record Danville Police Department
Sgt. Matt Reed Winchester Police Department
Officer Jose Roman Jr. Mayfield Police Department
Patrol Officer Matthew Semler Erlanger Police
Sgt. Mark Wheeler Boyd County Sheriff
Patrol Officer Danny Williams Murray Police Department
Officer David Williams Oldham County Police Dept
Deputy Sheriff Quintin Wright Logan County Sheriff’s Office
Sgt. Jeremy Younger Shelbyville Police Department

Division 4
Name of Nominee Agency Name
Patrol Deputy Louis Armstrong Christian County Sheriff’s Office
Officer William Conn University of Kentucky Police Department
Officer James Frint Ashland Police Department
Officer Aaron Gutermuth Jeffersontown Police Department
Officer Michael Martinez Hopkinsville Police Department
Deputy Kenneth W. Mayfield Warren County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Thomas Minter Elizabethtown Police Department
Patrol Officer Daniel Pennaman Henderson Police Department
Patrol Officer Anthony Pinkston Florence Police Department
Officer Dustin Scott Madisonville Police Department
Officer Keith Thuline Paducah Police Department
Officer Jerry Wise Frankfort Police Department

Division 5
Name of Nominee Agency Name
Sgt. David Flannery Lexington Police Department
Deputy Teddy Melton Boone County Sheriff’s Office
Patrolman Michael Roby Owensboro Police Department
Specialist Doug Ullrich Covington Police Department
Detective Raymond Wonka Louisville Metro Police Department

Division 6
Name of Nominee Agency Name
Trooper “R” Toney Allen Kentucky State Police – Post 7
Trooper Mike Armstrong Kentucky State Police – Post 8
Sgt. Joseph R. Bartolotti Kentucky State Police – Post 2
Senior Trooper Ricky Cross Kentucky State Police – Post 15
Master Trooper Eric Hines Kentucky State Police – Post 4
Trooper Chris Johnson Kentucky State Police – Post 6
Inspector II Justin Kilgore Kentucky State Police CVE East
Trooper Colt McGuire Kentucky State Police – Post 5
Trooper Samuel Mizner Kentucky State Police – Post 16
Trooper Ricky Newsom Kentucky State Police – Post 9
Senior Trooper Derral Redwine Kentucky State Police – Post 1
Master Trooper Graham Rutherford Kentucky State Police – Post 3
Trooper Jordan Sammons Kentucky State Police – Post 14
Trooper Justin Vanhook Kentucky State Police – Post 11
Senior Trooper Branden Watts Kentucky State Police – Post 13
Trooper William Watts Kentucky State Police – Post 12

Governor’s Office

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