“I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of a police officer as prescribed by law and to the best of my abilities,” four new Chehalis Police Department officers swore on Tuesday.
Just a week after national Peace Officers Memorial Day, Chehalis Police Chief Randy Kaut led the pinning ceremony during a Chehalis City Council meeting.
The four officers, accompanied by family members, stood shoulder to shoulder in the council chambers as their loved ones watched and eventually pinned Chehalis Police Department badges to their chests.
As part of his own established tradition, Chehalis Mayor Tony Ketchum greeted each of the new officers with a hug after their pinning.
Of the four new officers, two — officers Tim Bullus and Tyrese Dangerfield — are new to the profession. The two others — Beck Davis and Justin Kangas — have come to the local department from other agencies in the state.
Before their pinning, Kaut provided a brief background on each of the new officers. Eventually, each officer also had a chance to introduce family members who had come to support them.
Bullus comes to the department from the Olympia area and previously worked as a teacher and coach in the area. After being pinned, he thanked his family, including his wife and three children in attendance.
Kangas previously served nine years as a deputy with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office before taking the new job with the Chehalis Police Department. After his pinning, he introduced his family, including his wife and four children.
Beck Davis originally worked as an officer for the Seattle Police Department before taking his new job with the Chehalis Police Department. He introduced his wife to the audience after the ceremony.
Dangerfield comes to the department from the Puyallup area and previously drove a bus but has long aspired to become a member of law enforcement. Dangerfield introduced his wife, his son and his mother, who all came to support him.
“I've worked so hard to get to this point, and just super blessed to be here,” Dangerfield said. “It feels so surreal. It's like you said, this is a childhood dream, and I've worked so hard to make this happen, and to be able to see my son be able to see his father doing what he truly believes in.”
