Police Rookies Carry Unique Back Stories into BLET Graduation








"When Winston-Salem’s newest police officers are sworn in Sept. 12, their number will include a recipient of the Purple Heart, a mother of three whose youngest was born just three months before she reported for training, and a former high school Latin teacher who speaks three languages.
        Media representatives interested in pursuing these or other human-interest stories as part of their coverage of Winston-Salem Police BLET Class 67 graduation this week should contact Sgt. John Morris, the BLET sergeant, to arrange for interviews. Morris can be reached at 726-7243 or by email to jmorris@wspd.org.
        Recruits with interesting personal stores include:
·   Christopher Graf, awarded the Purple Heart while serving with the Army in Afghanistan;
·   Sean Hettler, a survivor of open heart surgery at age 41;
·   Sam Smith, whose stepfather is a Winston-Salem firefighter;
·   Paul Hill, a former Reynolds High School Latin teacher who speaks three languages;
·   Nicole Young, a mother of three whose youngest was born just three months before she reported for BLET;
·   Hunter Sturkie, whose identical twin brother will be a member of BLET Class 68;
·   Kelly Wilkes, the class vice president, who will not turn 21 until after BLET graduation and whose uncle is Winston-Salem Police Officer Carl McClainy; and
·   Amanda Cobb, whose father is a retired U.S. Marshall and member of the Alaska State Police.

        Graduation ceremonies for Winston-Salem Police Basic Law Enforcement Training Class 67 will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12, in the Benton Convention Center, 301 W. Fifth St. Twenty-nine new officers will graduate, having completed 27 weeks of class and training. Dr. William Bozeman, the director of prehospital research in the Emergency Medicine Department at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, will deliver the keynote address."

- A Press Release

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