PRESS RELEASE / INVITATION
Dear Members of the News Media,
The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Walla Walla Police Department, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Kennewick Police Department, the Pasco Police Department, and the Richland Police Department, is hosting a joint SWAT training exercise. The Walla Walla Regional SWAT team and the Tri-Cities Regional SWAT team will be training together in an ongoing effort to make our communities safer. Tri-Cities SWAT team leader BCSO Sgt. Jon Law commented, “This is the first time that our two teams have trained or worked together to my knowledge. It’s a great idea and we welcome the opportunity.” The instructors for this joint SWAT training will be current element and team leaders from the LAPD SWAT team, Los Angeles Police Department.
Walla Walla County Sheriff John A. Turner, along with all the Chiefs & Sheriffs of the participating law enforcement agencies, would like to recognize and thank the United States Attorney’s Office, specifically Mr. Michael C. Ormsby, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington and Mr. Steven R. Tomson, retired Whitman County Sheriff and current Law Enforcement Manager for the Eastern District of Washington, U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their financial assistance and support in making this training possible.
Members of the media are invited to join us for coverage of this training on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 2:30pm at the Walla Walla County Fire District 5 Headquarters, Station 51, located at 460 W. Humorist Road, Burbank WA. Members of both participating SWAT teams will be there for comment and available to answer questions. Shortly after 2:30pm, interested members of the media will be escorted to the training site in order to view and document the ongoing training scenario. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sheriff John A. Turner wishes to thank all the participating local law enforcement agencies for their hard work, cooperation, and coordination in making this joint SWAT training a reality. Thank you to Walla Walla County Fire District Chiefs Rocky Eastman and Mike Wickstrom for their partnership. Special thank you to LAPD SWAT Element Leader Sgt. II Lee McMillion and Team Leaders Officer Wilson Wong and Officer Rick Anzaldo for their willingness to come assist our teams and help make our communities safer. Another very special thank you goes to all the citizen volunteers who are giving of their time and effort to make this training a success. We are committed to the highest quality public service, enhancing public safety, and striving for constant, consistent improvement.
John A. Turner
Walla Walla County Sheriff
(509) 524 - 5400
jturner@co.walla-walla.wa.us
Questions or requests for additional information may be directed to Capt. Mike Cobb, Richland Police Department, 509-942-7362.
