The Roane County Sheriff’s Department is proud to announce their newest additions,  Deputy Bryan Walker and Deputy Mickey Swanger. Both graduated from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy last Friday.

Deputy Swanger received the Knox County Sheriff’s Department Mike Currier Award “for demonstrating exceptional professionalism, leadership, and courage” during academy training.

Both will now begin a 12 week FTO program where they will be riding with a veteran officer.

Swanger stated that he made the decision to serve his community because he wanted to help people, and to follow in his father’s footsteps, a retired chief of police.

Walker explained that part of the reason he joined the force was that he wanted to serve his community, but also because of a man who led Walker’s Wednesday night bible study, when Walker was just 13. That man was Roane County Sheriff Jack Stockton.

Pictured (left to right) is Chief Tim Hawn, Deputy Walker, Deputy Swanger, Sheriff Jack Stockton, and Chief Deputy Tim Phillips.