Douglas Deputy Among Academy Graduates

Twenty-six people graduated May 3 from the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric M. Amdal was one of them.

The 10-week academy covered state laws, criminal procedures, firearms, emergency vehicle operations, defensive tactics, search and seizure, and other law enforcement related subjects.

Amdal was the only graduate from a Douglas agency.

Nearby Carroll County had three graduates: Officers Kelly C. Bennett and Michael W. Hollis with the Carrollton Police Department and Donald R. Manger with the Villa Rica Police Department.

Cobb also had three graduates, including the student with the highest academic ranking. Lt. Patrick Stewart with the Marietta Fire Department finished at the top of the class. Other Cobb graduates included Officer Jeremy Boatwright with the Powder Springs Police Department and Officer Travis Smith with the Southern Polytechnic State University Police Department.

In addition to Stewart, top honors went to Jonathan Morrison, an officer with the Cartersville Police Department, and Phillip Koutnik, an officer with the Roswell Police Department.

Morrison was elected class president. Koutnik was given the Marksmanship Award for scoring the highest overall average on the firing range.