THP Announces Trooper of the Year 2009

• Trooper Joseph Walker is Trooper of the Year for the Knoxville District. Walker, 46, was commissioned in 1989 and serves as a Road Trooper assigned to Anderson County.  On October 2, 2009, the City of Knoxville experienced three armed robberies within a two hour period. Upon hearing of the third robbery, Trooper Joe Walker placed himself in a position to intercept the suspect vehicles. Trooper Walker stopped one vehicle, detained a suspect, and recovered a shotgun used in the robberies. Based upon information from Trooper Walker, Kentucky State Police officers were able to locate and arrest other suspects.  Because of Trooper Walker’s alertness and initiative, two armed robbers were arrested and three armed robberies were solved.
• Trooper Kevin Hoppe is Trooper of the Year 2009 for the Chattanooga District.  Trooper Hoppe, 42, is a K-9 officer in McMinn County, where I-75 between Knoxville and Chattanooga has long been known as a drug transportation corridor. Trooper Kevin Hoppe has disrupted drug deliveries for many years in this area. During 2009, Trooper Hoppe had 30 separate drug cases, seized numerous weapons, and seized two vehicles and over $3,000 cash. His work ethic and experience are valuable assets to the State of Tennessee and sets an example for all to follow. Trooper Hoppe is a 1994 graduate of MTSU in Criminal Justice and was commissioned as a State Trooper in 1997.
• Trooper Michael Parker is Trooper of the Year for the Nashville District. Trooper Parker, 42, has served in Davidson County since he was commissioned as a State Trooper in 2007. On August 19, 2009, Trooper Michael Parker heard gun shots from a nearby neighborhood and observed a vehicle leaving the area. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop. Trooper Parker received a BOLO indicating that the subjects had been involved in a home invasion and exchanged gunfire with the home owner. Trooper Parker pursued the vehicle for 22 minutes and eventually arrested the subjects following a foot pursuit with the assistance of Metro PD. Trooper Parker is a dedicated officer and his alertness led to the arrest of four dangerous felons. Prior to being commissioned as a State Trooper, Parker was an officer for the Goodlettsville, White House, and Ridgetop Police Department’s. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Service Management and a B.A. in Criminal Justice Public Administration from Cumberland University.
• Trooper Roderick Sharpe is Trooper of the Year for the Memphis District. Trooper Sharp, 33, is assigned to the Haywood County Scales. During 2009, Trooper Sharp began recognizing a trend in the falsifying and forging of commercial vehicle registrations. He is responsible for identifying and prosecuting 13 difference commercial carriers for these violations saving the State of Tennessee thousands of dollars in revenue. Trooper Sharp takes time to educate his fellow troopers in this critical and previously neglected area of enforcement.  Prior to being commissioned as a State Trooper in 2003, Sharp served as both a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer and a Correctional Officer.
• Trooper Eric Gordon is Trooper of the Year for the Fall Branch District. Trooper Eric Gordon, 33, is assigned to Hawkins County and is dedicated to the position he holds as a Tennessee State Trooper. His nomination for this recognition is based on his consistent enforcement work in the Fall Branch District. Trooper Gordon led the district with 40 DUI arrests and 55 child restraint device violations. He also has 17 felony arrests, investigated 85 crashes, issued 1,245 citations and had 71 commercial vehicle inspections. Trooper Gordon also successfully completed Crash Reconstruction School and has been accepted to attend Drug Recognition Expert School in 2010.  Gordon was commissioned as a State Trooper in 2008 after four years as a Greene County Deputy. He served 9 years in the Army Reserves.
• Trooper Dewaine Jennings is Trooper of the Year for the Cookeville District. Trooper Jennings, 36, serves as a Road Trooper in DeKalb County. Today, he is recognized as Trooper of the Year for an act of heroism on December 13, 2009.  Trooper Dewaine Jennings was dispatched to investigate a traffic crash on Bright Hill Road in rural DeKalb County, Tennessee. DeKalb County Volunteer Fire, Rescue, and EMS, as well as two deputies from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and two Smithville City Police Officers were at the scene. Upon arrival, Trooper Jennings found an overturned vehicle submerged in the rain-swollen creek. The waters of this creek were unusually high and the current was very swift due to the recent surplus of rain. No one knew the whereabouts of the driver. No one had checked the vehicle to see if a victim was trapped inside. No one had set foot in the creek. Without hesitation or regard for his own safety, Trooper Jennings handed a Sheriff’s Deputy his portable radio and entered the frigid, waist-deep water to check for entrapped passengers. Unable to determine if there was anyone inside the submerged vehicle, Trooper Jennings attempted to break a window. The window would not break, so Trooper Jennings told the nearby Deputy to notify DeKalb County 911 to request the closest wrecker service to respond (emergency traffic) to hoist the vehicle out of the creek. Trooper Jennings attached the cables to the vehicle and it was raised from the turbulent creek. The driver, still inside, was fatally injured. At this point, other rescue workers entered the water to assist in removing the victim from the vehicle.
  Although the efforts of Trooper Jennings did not save the life of the driver, his selfless actions were regarded as brave and above the call of duty to those on the scene. He put his own life in peril to save another that cold, December day when he entered the icy water. As law enforcement officers, our fundamental duty is to serve mankind. To do this as heroically as Trooper Jennings, requires duty and honor, traits that cannot be taught, but must be part of core values. We are proud that it was a Tennessee State Trooper who took the initiative to enter the cold waters. There is one important fact to this story…Trooper Jennings can not swim!
  Prior to being commissioned as a State Trooper in 2007, Jennings worked for the McMinnville and Woodbury Police Department’s and the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department.
• Trooper Josh Culp is Trooper of the Year for the Lawrenceburg District. On December 30, 2009, Trooper Culp answered a frantic cry for assistance from his county radio. A TWRA officer had been shot and three individuals had stolen his truck. Trooper Culp went to the scene to assist the injured TWRA officer. He relayed all the important information on the suspects, provided aid to the injured officer, and protected the scene and all the evidence. Because of his efforts, all three suspects were located and taken into custody within 30 minutes of the shooting. Trooper Culp’s immediate response and calm demeanor were instrumental in the timely capture and arrest of the suspects. Trooper Culp, 29, is assigned to Lawrence County where he has served since he was commissioned in 2004. Prior to being commissioned as a State Trooper, Culp served as an Officer for the Clifton Police Department.
• Trooper Chris Moeller is Trooper of the Year for the Jackson District. Trooper Moeller, 41, is assigned to Gibson County. While it is important to recognize heroic acts, it is also important to recognize and guard carefully our day to day contact with the public, our personal integrity and our professional performance. Trooper Chris Moeller has been a very dedicated member of the department for the past six years. He has averaged over 1,000 citations annually since his employment and is a consistent DUI, Child Restraint Device and seatbelt violation producer. He is a very dependable and respected co-worker and consistently performs above and beyond the call of duty.  Moeller was commissioned as a State Trooper in 2004 and served in the U.S. Marines from 1987-1991.
• Trooper Steve Sakarapanee is Trooper of the Year for the Administrative District.  Trooper Sakarapanee, 38, is a 12-year veteran of the THP and assigned to the Training Division as a Training Instructor. He is the lead motorcycle officer instructor and also teaches defensive tactics, DUI enforcement and stop strip usage. Trooper Sakarapanee has a strong desire to teach officer safety to all troopers so that they may have any advantage in a hostile situation. He is also an adjunct faculty member of the Institute of Police Technology & Management (IPTM) in Jackson, Florida. Commissioned as Road Trooper in 1998, Sakarapanee is a 2002 graduate of Northwestern University Police Staff & Command.

The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.TN.Gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.