On Tuesday April 8, Black River Technical College’s (BRTC) Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) held the Spring 2025 graduation ceremony for Class 2025-A on the BRTC campus in Paragould. The graduating class was composed of 40 officers from 28 different agencies and completed 603 hours of training.
The recruits were greeted by BRTC’s Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Brad Baine at the start of the ceremony. Caynon Rorex of the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office, class spokesperson, followed Baine and left her class with words of encouragement. Deputy United States Marshal and previous LETA Instructor Ben Runnels also addressed the class privately before the ceremony as their guest speaker.
The United Police Supply’s Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Scholarship was presented to Whitney Barnum of the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office. The United Police Supply’s Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Scholarship was named in honor of Trumann Police Officer Jonathan Schmidt, a 2007-B LETA graduate who was killed in the line of duty. The $500 scholarship will be used for her professional development.
The Jami L. Cook Award of Excellence was presented to Nathan Davis of the Jonesboro Police Department. The award is presented to an exceptional student who exhibits an exemplary commitment to ethical service as a law enforcement officer in the State of Arkansas. The student’s foundation of excellence should be demonstrated through perseverance, resilience, and integrity-driven conduct that distinguishes them from their peers.
BRTC LETA faculty recognized and awarded the top cadets from Class 2025-A. Jerry Hughes of the Independence County Sheriff’s Office was named Top Overall, which is earned by having the overall highest average in the areas of academics, firearms, EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course), and physical fitness. Jacob Tooley of the Harrison Police Department earned second overall. Landon Martin of the Marked Tree Police Department earned third.
Top Academic Awards went to Nathan Davis of the Jonesboro Police Department, 1st; Caynon Rorex of the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office, 2nd; and Collin Moseley of the Harrison Police Department, 3rd.
Top Firearms were Christopher Damron of the Cross County Sheriff’s Office, 1st; Caston Tate of the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, 2nd; and Travis Graves of the Arkansas Highway Police, 3rd.
Top Physical Training Awards (Male Division) went to Jacob Tooley of the Harrison Police Department, 1st; Jerry Hughes of the Independence County Sheriff’s Office, 2nd; and Michael King of the Beebe Police Department and Landon Martin of the Marked Tree Police Department, 3rd.
Top Physical Training Awards (Female Division) went to Madison Vannattan of the Batesville Police Department, 1st; Kamaryn Kick of the Pocahontas Police Department, 2nd; and Ashley Sansom of the Ward Police Department, 3rd.
Pictures of the ceremony can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blackrivertech/albums/72177720325021934/with/54443403879
For more information about BRTC’s Law Enforcement Training Academy contact Bridgette Rose at Bridgette.rose@blackrivertech.edu