Executive
S.C. Law Enforcement Mourns Officers
S.C. FBI Academy Hosts Dinner, Meeting
SCLEOA
SCLEOA
Orangeburg County Pinning Ceremony
North
Building
Officers
President
Chief Dale Long
Conway Police Department
Executive Committee
President Elect
Chief Charles Barranco
Aiken Public Safety
1st Vice President
Chief Jim Stewart
Anderson Police Department
2nd Vice President
Asst. Chief Richard Gregory
S.C. Law Enforcement Division
Treasurer/Secretary
Major James “Jim” Miles
University of South Carolina Division of Law
Enforcement & Safety
Immediate Past President
Chief James Allen
Timmonsville Police Department
Sergeant-at-Arms
Chief Deputy Eric Abdullah
Aiken County Sheriff’s Office
South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association
2024-2025 District Representatives
The District Representatives serve as the senior association official for his or her respective District. Each is expected to hold a District-wide Spring and Fall meeting to conduct District business and encourage prospective members to join the association. District Representatives present a report of the concerns of members, at each regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting, in his or her District and present a report of his or her monthly activities to the President as well. District representatives represent the district in which they are employed, assigned, or reside.
District 1 - Calhoun, Dorchester, & Orangeburg
Chief Deputy Matt Trentham
Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office
2811 Old Belleville Rd. • St. Matthews, S.C. 29135 (803) 874-2741
District 2 - Aiken, Bamberg, & Barnwell
Investigator Jessica Abdullah Aiken County Sheriff’s Office
420 Hampton Ave. • Aiken, SC 29801 (803) 642-1761 • jabdullah@aikencountysc.gov
District 3 - Clarendon, Lee, Sumter, & Williamsburg
Captain Mike Evans Sumter Police Department
107 E Hampton Ave. • Sumter SC, 29150 (803) 436-2083 • mevans@sumter-sc.com
District 4 - Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, & Marlboro
Lt. Kristan Jeffords Hartsville Police Department
135 West Carolina Ave. • Hartsville, S.C. 29550 (843) 383-3011
District 5 - Kershaw & Richland
Lieutenant Bryan Schumpert
Dept. of Juvenile Justice Public Safety Bryantschumpert@djj.s.gov
District 6 - Chester, Fairfield, & Lancaster
Major Matt Shaw
Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office P.O. Box 908 • Lancaster, S.C. 29721 (803) 283-3388 • jshaw@lacoso.net
District 7 - Cherokee & Spartanburg
Chief Chris Carter
Spartanburg Methodist College Campus Safety (864) 587-4003 • ccarter@smcsc.edu
District 8 - Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens, & Newberry
Lieutenant Jason Stuhr Newberry Police Department
1507 Nance Street • Newberry, SC 29108 (803) 321-1010 • jstuhr@cityofnewberry.com
South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association
District 9 - Berkeley & Charleston
Lieutenant Robert Forsythe Isle of Palms Police Department
30 J.C. Long Blvd. • Isle of Palms, SC 29451 rforsythe@iop.net
District 10 - Anderson & Oconee
Sergeant Melissa Kelley
Anderson Police Department
401 South Main Street • Anderson, SC 29624 mkelley@cityofandersonsc.com
District 11 - Edgefield, Lexington, Mccormick, & Saluda
Robby Lint
Lexington County Sheriff’s Department
P.O. Box 639 • Lexington, SC 29071 (803) 785-8230 • clint@lcsd.sc.gov
District 12 - Florence & Marion
Lieutenant Alvin Powell
Florence County Sheriff’s Office (843) 665-2121 • apowell@fcso.org
District 13 - Greenville & Pickens
Lieutenant Jarrid Lowe
Fountain Inn Police Department
300 N. Main Street • Fountain Inn, SC 29644 (864) 862-4461 • jarrid.lowe@fountaininn.org
District 14 - Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, & Jasper
Chief Deputy Gean Johnson Colleton County Sheriff’s Office
394 Mable T. Willis Blvd. • Walterboro, SC 29488 (843) 549-2211 ext. 2003 • gjohnson@colletoncounty.org
District 15 - Georgetown & Horry
Lieutenant Chris Williamson
Conway Police Department
1600 9th Ave. Conway, SC 29526 (843) 488-7644 cwilliamson@cityofconway.com
District 16 - Union & York
Chief Chris Watts
Rock Hill Police Department (803) 329-7200 chris.watts@cityofrockhill.com
November 12-14, 2025
President’s Message
SCLEOA family,
Your SCLEOA Board and Executive Director are already in the planning stages of the annual conference and banquet. We are soliciting ideas for top shelf keynote speakers who would draw a crowd wherever they go. If you have a speaker you want us to pursue, please forward it to us.
The conference will be large this year with MASSIVE changes as we partner with CJIS to jointly conduct our training and parallel theirs. This will expand attendance, the vendor hall, and they have some topics we my pull as
crossover material.
Here is my challenge. If every 100% department and agency would send their Officer, Deputy, Employee, Rookie, Investigator, or Supervisor of the Year winner, we would need a bigger venue!
If you are that award winner, please ask your Sheriff, Director, or Chief to send you for a training program designed for officer by officers.
Chief Dale Long of the Conway Police Department.
Executive Director’s Message
SCLEOA Family,
It has been a great honor to serve the SCLEOA family for the last five years. It’s hard to believe that five years flew by so quickly. My family and I look forward to many more years of service to you.
Just so my members know, my family has changed a little in 2025. My lovely wife, Laura, has retired from teaching after 28 years of service to Lexington School District 1. Our son,Jacob Price Jones, has shipped off to The Citadel and is in his first year in Charleston. We are adjusting to the new normal in our home and are ready to see what 2026 has to offer!
The SCLEOA has had a great year. We had a successful golf tournament, bass tournament, and our fifth sporting clays event. We also hosted Best-Selling author and speaker, Dr. Kevin Gilmartin. We appreciate him flying in from Arizona to help us help you.
We would like to share a special “ Thank You” to all of the board members, district reps, and all 6,400+ members that have helped make all of these events successful.
We are also looking forward to our largest conference in recent history. As of September 4th, the current roster sits at 275 attendees for the 2025 SCLEC in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our training lineup is even stronger than
years past, and we look forward to hearing our headlining Speaker Frank Abagnale in November.
This year‘s conference is gonna look a little different with our new partners from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division- CJIS team. While this training is gonna be new to some of our members, we know it’s gonna make South Carolina an even stronger law-enforcement community.
Our SCLEOA president, Chief Dale Long, has done an outstanding job of leading us through 2025 and we look forward to him finishing strong as we complete our conference in November. Chief Long led the charge at the State House and made numerous trips to testify and share law enforcement’s vision of a successful path forward.
Know that if you need anything from Jenny or me, please do not hesitate to call, E mail, or stop by and see us on Broad River Road in Columbia. We are here to serve you!
JJ Jones
Executive Director, SCLEOA
Executive Director J.J. Jones
SCLEOA Scholarships Available
Each year, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Foundation (SCLEOF) awards $7,000 in Scholarships to three graduating high school seniors. The SCLEOF is the training and educational subsidiary of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association (SCLEOA), South Carolina’s oldest and largest professional association.
SCLEOA has been the Voice of Law Enforcement in South Carolina since 1941. Today, nearly 7,000 officers, representing every rank in municipal, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, comprise the membership of our association.
The SCLEOF will award one $3,000 scholarship and two $2,000 scholarships to high school
seniors in the coming year. One of the $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to the child of an SCLEOA member.
The SCLEOA and SCLEOF are proud to support education in The Palmetto State and look forward to the scholarship consideration process each year!
661-8229
S.C. Law Enforcement Mourns Officers Lost
Nathaniel Michael Ansay, 24, of Effingham, SC, passed away Tuesday, May 20. 2025.
Nate was born in Florence, South Carolina, to Kimberly Odom Hatfield and Christopher Ansay. A proud graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, he served as a Deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Nate was a dedicated member of the “B” Squad and part of the esteemed K9 Tracking Team.
Passionate about the outdoors, Nate found great joy in fishing and nature. He also served as the Assistant Captain of the South Florence High School Bass Fishing Team, where he inspired younger anglers with his leadership and enthusiasm.
He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents and paternal grandfather.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by stepfather, Brandon Hatfield; girlfriend, Elizabeth Lee; brothers, Branson Hatfield and Christopher Ansay, Jr; sisters, Madilyn Hatfield and Kryslyn Ansay; paternal grandmother, Mona Ansay; and a number of cousins.
Memorials may be made to SFHS Bass Fishing Team, 3200 S Irby St, Florence, SC 29505. Please sign the guestbook for the family at www.stoudenmiredowling.com.
Nathaniel Michael Ansay
Darlington County Sheriff Deputy Frank Devin Mason, age 27, lost his life in the line of duty on July 1, 2025. He leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and selfless service. Devin was born in Whiteville, NC, on December, 31,1997. He was known to all for his smile, generous heart, laughter, and his unwavering devotion to his family and friends. He is proceeded in death by his father Frank Mason; grandmother Nell Stegall; grandfather Charles (Bubba) Stegall; cousin Tara Stegall; uncle Jack Stegall; and niece Katherine Bellamy. Devin would give you the shirt off his back.
Devin’s athletic abilities were embedded in him by his uncle Jack. He loved playing sports, and was very proud to be part of the West Columbus tennis team and especially the football team. Devin also got his mechanical skills and ability from his uncle Stephen. He went on after high school to become a proud member of the Black’s Tire team, working as a commercial service technician in Whiteville, NC, Loris, SC, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Florence, SC. He learned important life lesson’s from his step-dad, John about treating people the way you want to be treated. To be respectful, to work hard, and most of all, take care of your family.
Devin fulfilled his dream by becoming a Law Enforcement Officer by graduating from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, class #828 in March 2025. He was honored to become a Darlington County Sheriff Deputy.
He is survived by fiancé, Madi Palmer Church, and their beautiful baby boy, Brooks James Ma-
Officers Lost (continued)
Frank Devin Mason
son. Also surviving is his mother Shannon Stegall Dudney (John); sisters Brandie Bellamy (Lendorian), Amber Mason (Que), and Crystal Mason (Tralique). His aunts Teresa Stegall, Cherry Stegall (Ira); uncle Stephen Stegall (Courtney); nieces and nephews Nicole, Ti’Lyn, Billy and Kannon; and cousins Avery, Ciara, Kassie, Dakota, and Zackery.
Devin, you are the love of my life and the most devoted fiancee and father I could have ever asked for. There was nothing in the world you wouldn’t do for me and Brooks. I promise Brooks will know you as the hero you are.
Devin, we will miss you everyday and love you forever. Madi
The last, but not the least, comes from Devin’s mom. Devin, mama loves you, and you have made me so proud of you. You grew up to be a loving, respectful son, and the best father anyone could ever ask for. Devin, thank you for being a great son, brother, role model, father, friend, fiancee, and most importantly, our HERO! We love you and are going to miss you so much. Mama, John, Madi, Brooks, Brandie, Amber, and Crystal. You would have been a great husband to Madi. Rest easy my Baby Boy.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety mourned the death of South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper First Class Dennis D. Ricks as family, friends and first responders gathered in Columbia to celebrate his life and legacy. A sincere thank you to Shandon Baptist Church for graciously allowing us to hold this special tribute of TFC Ricks.
Along with family and friends, hundreds of law enforcement officers and first responders from South Carolina, as well as dozens of troopers and state police officers from as far away as California came to pay their respects. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out to show their love and support for the family of TFC Ricks.
TFC Ricks died on August 13, nearly four days after being struck by a vehicle while performing a traffic stop in Orangeburg County. He is the 52nd Highway Patrol trooper to lose his life while serving the state of South Carolina.
Dennis
D. Ricks
(803) 747-8065
La Comercial Mexico
1700 N. King Hwy//310 East Smith St, Myrtle Beach (843) 448-4813
S.C. FBI Academy Hosts Monthly Dinner, Meeting
The South Carolina FBI National Academy held a monthly dinner and meeting in Conway, SC. Chief Dale Long of Conway Police Department welcomed law enforcement from across the state.
The group was joined by our partners from Moseley. Thanks to FBI SAC Kevin Moore for joining us and speaking to the group.
From right: Executive Director J.J. Jones, SCLEOA Past President; current SCLEOA President Chief Dale Long; FBI SC SAC Kevin Moore.; and SCLEOA Past President Major T.J. Geary..
SCLEOA Bass Tourney Another Success
The SCLEOA Team is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 SCLEOF Bass Tournament at Billy Dreher Island State Park. Join us in congratulating:
1st Place: Tucker Veronee and Tyler Reese
2nd Place: Clay and Truitt Riddle
3rd Place: Emmitt Maynor and Carson Grubbs
Big Fish: Paul Morris 7.22 lbs.
Thank you to all 116 fishermen that came out to compete and support Law Enforcement in South Carolina. We are successful every year thanks to our sponsors. Please support those businesses that support our community!
First place winners Tucker Veronee and Tyler Reese. Second place winners Clay and Truitt Riddle
Third place winners Emmitt Maynor and Carson Grubbs. Biggest fish went to Don Kneece at 7.22 pounds!
SCLEOA Represents at Columbia Fireflies Game
Team members from SCLEOA joined the Columbia Fireflies on June 13th at Segra Park in Columbia, SC. SCLEOA was recognized as the nonprofit group of the game. We were represented by SCLEOA Sgt at Arms, Aiken County Chief Deputy Eric Abdullah, Aiken County Sheriff’s Detective Jessicah Abdullah, and Irmo Police Department’s Chief Bobby Dale. We had a great time but were rained out on a wet June evening! Thank you Fireflies for your continued support of SCLEOA!
100 Batesburg Hwy
(864) 445-2577 5343 Hwy 321
(803) 881-0011
(843) 833-8448
(803) 433-2100 520 Folly Road (854) 999-1256
(843) 414-7781 O’Neill Liquor 1117 Park West Blvd Mount Pleasant (843) 971-4009
(843) 645-0888 Simba Express #5
794-0628
(267) 846-9667 7752 W Main Street
Orangeburg County Pinning Ceremony
OCSO K9 Unit. From left, Sheriff Leroy Ravenell, Sgt. Kyle Hardison, Inv. Dan Howe, Dep. “CJ” Warner, Cpl. Cory Mack, Dep. Boyce Logan, Chief of Staff Shane McLendon. The team was recognized for unwavering dedication to duty.
From left, Dep. Kaeshawn Shuler, Dep. Justin Barnett, Dep. Monte Howell, Dep. Ecorie Schofield, Dep. Cristopher Gantt being sworn in.
North Police Department Community Events 2025
Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence, which was instructed by Cpl. Stone.
School Supply Drive.
Program.
D.A.R.E.
681-4177 Laurens
Building Future Leaders at Camp B.L.U.E
Camp B.L.U.E stands for Building Leaders Using Education. It is a Police Officer led summer camp program that is committed to provide all campers with a safe and supportive environment. One of our goals is to develop a positive bond between law enforcement and youth during their early developmental years. We also provide the youth with a positive summer experience and to increase their opportunities for cognitive, social, and interpersonal growth. We are dedicated to challenge them to be leaders while exposing them to educational experiences, and the opportunity to learn from positive role models. We provide curriculum on many leadership and core value topics during the week, and we incorporate fun activities and field trips for our campers. We strive to make sure that the curriculum,
recreational activities, and field trips all work together to ensure our campers have an exciting learning experience. At the conclusion of the summer program, the campers have a graduation ceremony right before our National Night Out event. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that aims to enhance the relationships between neighbors and law enforcement. Our police department brings all of our divisions to the event to allow the community to engage, ask questions, and interact with us on a friendly level. Local vendors are invited to come showcase their businesses and to connect with the community. This year we had over 35 vendors join us for National Night Out. We host the event, and we provide free food and entertainment. The purpose is to celebrate the relationship
between local law enforcement and the community and with both programs, we accomplish this goal.
5792 Memorial Blvd Saint George (843) 931-1050
498 Piney Grove Road Columbia (803) 750-3611 1924 San Rittenberg Blvd Charleston (843) 641-0037
Discount Drugs 1025 Hwy 13 Haleyville (205) 486-4534
Officers Face Crisis as Ambush Shootings Rise
Originally published by cbsnews. com Aug. 22, 2025
by Laura Geller, Anna Schecter, Graham Kates, Cara Tabachnick, and Nicole Sganga
When police officers responded to a disturbance call at a home in Tremonton, Utah, on Sunday, a man there immediately started shooting at them. Two officers were killed, a sheriff’s deputy was wounded and a police dog was also hospitalized with injuries. It was an ambush.
Mayor Lyle Holmgren said the suspect’s “intention was to cause harm to as many police officers and public servants as possible.”
The shooting was the latest in a growing trend of ambush attacks against police officers nationwide. Shootings against police have jumped 60% since 2018,
according to data tracked by the Fraternal Order of Police, a law enforcement member organization that’s been tracking the shootings since 2015 — and the percentage of ambush-style attacks is steadily growing.
At least 56 law enforcement officers have been shot in 45 ambush-style attacks in 2025 through July 31, more than 28% of total officers shot, according to data collected by the organization and analyzed by CBS News. Five years earlier, just over 20% of police officers shot in the line of duty were struck in ambush-style attacks.
The Fraternal Order of Police’s national president, Patrick Yoes, wrote a letter to Congress in March advocating for the “Protect and Serve Act,” which would create a new federal law against
knowingly assaulting law enforcement. He said the deliberate attacks are contributing to a crisis in recruiting the next generation of officers and holding onto those who are currently serving.
In July, after a week of violence in which 10 police officers were shot, three fatally, Yoes wrote: “How many more officers must die before Congress acts? Our men and women in law enforcement deserve better.”
‘Send Everyone’
Often, what seem like routine calls are the precursors to planned bloodshed, like what happened to police officers in Fargo, North Dakota, when they responded to a car accident on July 14, 2023.
The call came in from dispatch: a BMW sport utility vehicle crashed into a Mazda on 25th
Street in South Fargo, one of the city’s busiest streets. Newly minted Fargo police officer Tyler Hawes and his training officer, Andrew Dotas, headed to the scene to assist and interview the drivers and passengers involved.
Right away, Hawes, who graduated from the Fargo Police Academy seven weeks earlier, radioed dispatch for a second officer. He figured they could use some extra help speaking to witnesses and controlling traffic.
Officers Zachary Robinson and Jake Wallin arrived in about 10 minutes. Hawes, who attended the police academy with Wallin, recalled his friend and colleague asking as soon as he got there, “What do you need?”
Less than two minutes later they were ambushed.
Wallin, 23, was killed, and Hawes and Dotas were injured when a man named Mohamad Barakat opened fire from his 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis in a surprise attack, using an Anderson manufacturing rifle with a Bushnell scope. One other person at the scene, Karlee Koswick, was wounded, shot twice on the sidewalk as she tried to flee.
Fargo police officers were ambushed during a routine traffic stop on July 14, 2023. One officer, Jake Wallin, was killed, and two were injured.
One witness, Kim Hauger Sr., heard what he said felt like the sound of a machine gun. Hauger told investigators he saw two police officers moving from the parking lot toward the boulevard, and then saw the officers fall to the ground.
Robinson radioed dispatch, saying shots had been fired.
“Send everyone,” he said, be-
Ambush Shootings (continued)
fore opening fire on the suspect. “I shot like four times at him at that point,” he said, before reloading and killing Barakat.
The suspect had nothing to do with the vehicle crash. Investigators later found Barakat had been searching online for details on mass shootings, loaded his vehicle with rifles, two tactical vests, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a live grenade.
When he spotted the police officers, he decided to turn his deadly weapons on them — joining a steadily rising list of shooters who have deliberately ambushed law enforcement.
An Upward Trend — and Training to Respond
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division launched an investigative study in 2025 in response to the troubling trend. Federal agents have begun interviewing offenders in a firstof-its-kind effort to piece together what can be learned about the rise in attacks on law enforcement officers nationwide.
Prior to the recent study, there has been scant research about ambush attacks against law enforcement and why these are happening.
One earlier study from the International Association of Chiefs of Police found 68% of ambushes were considered spontaneous, like the 2023 Fargo ambush, and 32% were planned. The report, published in 2014, analyzed data from 1990 to 2012, a year when six law enforcement officers were killed in ambushes.
According to the IACP, an ambush is defined by four components: an element of surprise, concealment of the assailant, sud-
denness of the attack, and a lack of provocation. Ambushes can be classified as either premeditated or spontaneous.
The FBI released a report in 2018 showing ambush attacks on law enforcement doubled from 1996 to 2016. It found that while fewer police officers were being killed overall, surprise attacks in which officers are killed were steadily increasing. (The FBI’s data counts officers killed in ambushes, while the FOP data counts all officers shot.)
There was a large spike in ambush-style attacks in 2023, when 138 officers were shot.
Texas has had more recent incidents than any other state; so far this year, eight officers there have been shot in seven ambush-style attacks. It’s followed by California and Ohio, each with four ambush-style attacks.
FBI law enforcement operations specialist Kevin Harris has been researching ambush attacks for several years, and he trains police around the country on how to prepare and respond.
“Just speaking in general, it’s been an upward trend that seems to just continue upward and has been for the last several years,” said Harris, who describes an ambush as an instance “where an officer is lured into a place where they can be attacked.”
His training sessions involve analyzing and discussing different ambush attacks that have occurred in recent years. Harris said he wants officers to know “they’ve always got to have that situational awareness.”
“I try to tell officers, ‘Look, you’ve got to find that fine line
Polygraph Law Enforcement Accreditation (PLEA) Program
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Subject: Introduction by the President, PLEA Board of Directors
The PLEA program is a national polygraph accreditation body developed by senior polygraph examiners representing federal, state, and local law enforcement (LE) agencies. The PLEA is an independent accrediting body managed by the supervisors of polygraph units from primarily local and state polygraph programs. The standardized polygraph policies and procedures adopted by the PLEA program have been found to ensure a standard of service that is ethical, and professional and provides reliable results for the jurisdictions served.
It is the goal of the PLEA program to standardize polygraph practices to the extent possible within the law enforcement polygraph community. To achieve this goal the PLEA has dedicated itself to adopting a set of standards that both fully serve the polygraph missions of each department and are credible to the practitioner, our customer, and the research community. To accomplish this, standards have been adopted by the PLEA program that are based upon credible research, and the curriculum as taught at the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA), that are similar to standards in use by the federal government, have been used in a variety of research projects, and are proven to be robust in resolving applicant screening and criminal issue examinations. These standards have been used for over the last fourteen years by accredited polygraph units all over the United States, as well as by law enforcement agencies of the federal government with great success.
For the PLEA program to be successful, the PLEA Board of Directors believes the program must be available to all law enforcement agencies that wish to implement these standards, free of cost We want to not only make the PLEA application process as simple as possible but also to provide an agency with assistance in implementing these standards while maintaining the credibility of the inspection process. To this end, we can provide documentation that will not only assist an agency in applying for accreditation but also explain many of the components that comprise the PLEA program that are available to the law enforcement community. These concepts focus on quality control, validated formats, and training, most of which are available free of charge. As you are aware most crime laboratories in the LE community are accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD/LAB). NCCA is one of the participants in this partnership of federal, state, and local LE agencies. PLEA inspection procedures are also based on the ASCLD/LAB and federal polygraph oversight models.
If I, or anyone associated with PLEA can assist you in the application and inspection process please don’t hesitate to contact us. I can be reached at william.petoskey@columbiasc.gov or 803545-3545.
Thank you,
Trevor Petoskey, President PLEA - Board of Directors
situational awareness.”
“I try to tell officers look, you’ve got to find that fine line between being hypervigilant and dying of a heart attack at a young age,’” Harris said.
Lives Changed Forever
The trauma of these attacks ripples through families, police departments and communities around the country.
“Those lives are impacted forever,” said Harris.
Two years have passed since the Fargo attack and the officers who survived can now speak about what happened to them that day.
Officers Dotas and Hawes spent weeks in the hospital.
Hospital staff, family, friends and other officers gathered to applaud as Dotas, wearing a “We are Fargo PD” sweatshirt, finally left the facility with his wife and young son, AJ, by his side.
Dotas, who said he joined the police force because he wanted to live “a meaningful life,” told CBS News about some of the challenges he faced during his long road to recovery.
“I didn’t really get a chance to be a protector anymore. I had to rely on, like, on everyone else to protect me,” he said.
He credits his faith and his family for pulling him through. He also said, looking back on that fateful day, “There was a lot of miracles that took place that day.” Dotas said the medics already being at the scene for the vehicle crash when the shooting happened probably helped save their lives.
Hawes said in an interview released by Fargo police that they were lucky there were two trauma
rooms open and two fully staffed medical teams ready to help.
Ambush Shootings (continued)
“This event affected everyone that lives here,” said trauma surgeon Dr. Enej Gasevic, who cared for the officers in a statement. He said it feels like the incident took away some of the innocence of living in the area.
Officer Wallin left behind his parents, brother and fiancée. Dotas, who returned to the force in February 2025, and many other Fargo police officers wear bracelets in his honor.
“It’s so hard because we lost Jake Wallin that day and his family will never have be able to hold him and be able to talk to him and be with him,” said Do-
tas. “He was a brand new guy,” he added, noting that he related to Wallin because they both served in the military.
Dotas said he often looks down at the bracelet when he’s working to remember Wallin and his willingness to serve.
“He gave his all, and that’s something that can never be taken away from him,” said Dotas.
Officer Jake Wallin, 23, was killed during an ambush-style attack in 2023.
Groups Urge Trump to Reject ‘Flawed’ Weed Reclassification Push
Originally published by dailywire.com Aug. 25, 2025
by Zach Jewell
Nearly 50 organizations signed a letter sent to President Donald Trump on Monday, urging Trump to keep Marijuana labeled as a Schedule I drug after the administration sparked fierce debate when it announced it was considering downgrading weed’s classification.
The groups — which include faith-based, law enforcement, public policy, and health care organizations — argue that downgrading marijuana’s classification would “result in serious harm to public health and safety,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Daily Wire. Trump raised eyebrows earlier this month when he said during a White House press briefing that his administration would “make
a determination over the next few weeks” on whether to reclassify marijuana.
During his comments on the drug, Trump acknowledged that marijuana can have negative effects on people, especially children. The organizations behind Monday’s letter to Trump hope that the president will continue to consider the health of American children when his administration reviews weed’s classification.
“You have an opportunity to make a stand for the safety of children across America by opposing the flawed proposal to reschedule marijuana,” the letter states.
“Arguments like ‘marijuana should not be in the same category as heroin’ are politically salient and easy to understand, but they fundamentally misunderstand how drug scheduling works,” the letter continues.
“Contrary to popular belief, drug scheduling is not a harm index. Rather, it balances the accepted medical use of a substance with its potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs have no accepted, safe medical use and a high potential for abuse. Marijuana fits squarely within this definition, a fact acknowledged in every scheduling review prior to 2023 (the Obama Administration recommended against rescheduling in 2016).”
Discussions within the Trump administration have focused on classifying the drug as Schedule III, The Wall Street Journal reported. Reclassifying marijuana as Schedule III would put the drug in the same category as drugs that have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
The issue has divided Americans, including those who are among Trump’s base. The presi-
dent told reporters on August 11 that marijuana is “a very complicated subject.”
“I’ve heard great things having to do with medical [marijuana], and I’ve [heard] bad things having to do with just about everything else,” he said.
Among the groups pushing Trump to keep marijuana drug classification the same are the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition and the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents (DEAFNA). Conservative groups such as CatholicVote and the Family Research Council also signed the letter.
The letter points out that findings from the Centers for Disease Control show that 30% of cannabis users meet the clinical definition of having cannabis use disorder, and cannabis users have
a 30% chance of getting addicted. Marijuana is also getting stronger.
“The amount of THC in cannabis has increased over the past few decades. Products with high concentrations of THC can have greater intoxicating effects and increase the risk of overconsumption,” the CDC stated. The government agency added that there is some evidence “that high THC concentration cannabis use by adolescents and young adults is associated with continued use and development of future mental health symptoms and disorders.”
Eric Brown, president of the National Narcotic Officers’ Association Coalition said that narcotics officers witness the “far-reaching consequences” of marijuana abuse “every day.”
“Efforts to reschedule marijuana risk sending the wrong
Reclassification (continued)
message — that the substance is safe — while ignoring the science and significant dangers associated with its use,” he said.
“Rescheduling would only accelerate marijuana consumption, driving higher rates of substance abuse and increasing demands on already strained public safety resources and budgets. We strongly urge the Administration to reject any effort to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.”
The groups also argued that “Marijuana has not been approved for any medical use by the FDA, and it likely never will.” While it’s true that the FDA has not approved marijuana itself to be prescribed for any medical condition, the agency has approved purified forms of the drug, such as Epidiolex, which treats seizures.
“The agency also has approved
Marinol and Syndros for therapeutic uses in the United States, including for nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy and for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS patients,” the FDA stated.
Proponents of downgrading marijuana’s classification point out that moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III wouldn’t legalize the drug at the federal level, but would only reduce the scale of marijuana-related offenses. Some states have passed laws legalizing recreational and medical marijuana use, and legalization has become a hot topic in recent years, as pro-cannabis groups have pushed politicians, including Trump, to join their side on the issue.
The pro-weed coalition is moving the needle in their direction on public opinion — and not just on reclassifying weed, but also legalizing it at the federal level. A Pew Research poll conducted last year showed that a majority of Americans (57%) believe that both medical and recreational marijuana should be legal, and 32% said it should be legal for medical use only. Just 11% of respondents said marijuana should be illegal.
Trump addressed the issue at the White House earlier this month after he floated the idea of reclassifying marijuana during a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club earlier this month, according to the WSJ. Among the guests at the golf club when Trump hinted at the move was Kim Rivers, the CEO of Trulieve, one of the largest marijuana companies in the United States.
Trump also sided with the pro-
marijuana crowd last year in Florida, when he voted to legalize recreational use of the drug in his home state. The marijuana amendment push in Florida received 56%, falling just short of the 60% needed to pass it into law. Legalization efforts also failed in North Dakota and South Dakota last year.
A White House official told the WSJ earlier this month that Trump wants to take on issues like marijuana that are viewed as “80-20 cultural issues.” If the president were to take the side of weed proponents, it could also help him and Republicans among independent and young voters in the 2026 midterms.
But according to the group of organizations pushing Trump to say no to downgrading the drug, the risks of reclassifying marijuana far outweigh any potential electoral advantage such a move would give Republicans. The letter highlights how a reclassification of marijuana to Schedule III would end marijuana test requirements for people with numerous important jobs.
In 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board said that “HHS-certified laboratories used for such testing are not authorized to test for Schedule III controlled substances. This would mean that airline pilots, airline maintenance workers, bus and truck drivers, locomotive engineers, subway train operators, ship captains, pipeline operators, personnel transporting hazardous materials, and other safety-sensitive transportation employees would be prevented from being tested for marijuana use.”
Downgrading marijuana to Schedule III would also give
Reclassification
dispensaries massive tax breaks, the group points out, arguing that “street dealers and dispensaries alike would be able to receive reductions for promoting or marketing the sale of addictive drugs.” In the letter, the group also states that international drug cartels and Chinese money launderers that operate marijuana farms in the United States could also benefit from a major tax break if weed is rescheduled.
According to the group urging Trump to keep marijuana a Schedule III drug, America’s drug problem would only get worse if the federal government takes a more lenient stance on weed.
Travis Weber, the vice president for Policy and Government Affairs at the Family Research Council, said, “The deep pain and crisis of meaning that many in our nation are facing will not be made better by encouraging even more drug use, which is what rescheduling would do. Taking substances to temporarily “treat” our mind and body alone can never solve what is really a spiritual problem. Drugs won’t fill the void inside and heal our pain. Only Jesus can do that.”
Classified Directory
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BI-RITE FOOD STORE
106 S. CARLISLE STREET
803-739-5787…GASTON
BP 205 MAIN STREET
347-891-5603…SALUDA
CITY NAILS
9557 TWO NOTCH
803-865-6040…COLUMBIA
COAST PIZZA
9660 N KINGS HWY
843-945-1157…MYRTLE BEACH
CORNER STOP #57
801 N. HARPER
864-872-2375…LAURENS
EXPRESS MART
1100 WASHINGTON STREET
803-851-5269…COLUMBIA
FANCY NAILS & SPA
126 DOMINION DRIVE
803-226-0988…AIKEN
FOOD STORE 106
906 HARPER STREET
864-386-2085…LAURENS
JADE OF CHINA
1014 PINE LOG ROAD
803-642-8509…AIKEN
JAPAN EXPRESS
320 N MAIN STREET
864-445-2310…SALUDA
NB LIQUORS 1216 OAKLAND AVE
843-665-6436…FLORENCE
NUESTRA TIERRA LLC 6217 N KINGS HWY 843-449-1526…MYRTLE BEACH
S M MART GEORGETOWN 3508 S. FRASER STREET 843-520-1900…GEORGTOWN
SANDY NAILS SPA 909 STATE STREET 803-569-6479…CAYCE
SAV A TON
7421 WILSON BLVD 803-754-0022…COLUMBIA
SPRADY’S 202 MAIN STREET 662-303-0890…GRANITEVILLE
ST CLEMENTS BAR & GRILLE 202 70TH AVENUE N 843-455-3563…MYRTLE BEACH
SYMBOLS JEWELERS 5900 N KINGS HWY STE A 843-449-8440…MYRTLE BEACH
TOBACCO EXPRESS 214 W. BOYCE STREET 803-433-4993…MANING
VICKI LYN MICHAELS JEWELERS 7931 N KINGS HWY STE 110 843-497-2757…MYRTLE BEACH
WINGS & ALE 125-C OUTLET POINTE BLVD 803-750-1600…COLUMBIA
ZESTO’S ANGELOS 4001 N. MAIN STREET 803-786-7968…COLUMBIA
Business Directory
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COLUMBIA NUTRITION