Recently hired corrections officers with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department attended the Team Chitwood Martial Arts’ facility on Wednesday, Sept. 18 to learn different defense tactics.
The eight-hour training provided the officers hands-on lessons on how to control and protect the inmates and protect themselves in a way that mitigates the risk of injury to both the inmates and themselves.
“For the corrections officers, they have the liability of protecting the inmates and controlling them, and protecting the other inmates who might be assaulted. They have a lot of responsibility in the correction facility, so they need to understand the moves to take control of the facility in a safe manner,” said Sgt. Will Gordon.
Gordon, who has been with the Sheriff’s Dept. for close to 18 years and has been involved in the martial arts scene since he was a child, helps coordinate these training sessions.
He explained that while the Wednesday training session was specifically for the new officers, everyone within the department must take the defense tactic training, which is held 1-2 times a year.
Shawn Chitwood, co-owner of the Chitwood Martial Arts facility with his brothers Craig and Neil Chitwood, instructed the training session. He explained, “The specific martial arts we teach is jujitsu, because unlike the other martial arts like karate and other striking arts, we can’t have officers out there punching people in the face. There’s a time for that, but officers have to have a range of techniques according to how much noncompliance that they get. Their actions have to be reasonable.”
Chitwood serves as the lead law enforcement instructor for the state of Ohio and helped the attorney general’s office build Ohio’s tactical training program in 2001 by incorporating the martial art of jujitsu.
“My main interest in getting involved in law enforcement was to train law enforcement officers and use my expertise to help protect and serve those who protect and serve,” said Chitwood.
Both Gordon and Chitwood affirmed that the training the officers acquired is not confined to use at the corrections facility, but that the training tactics extend to the road and even when they’re out with their family members.
The training also shows the officers how to work as a team, said Gordon.
The corrections officers who participated include, Amber Kennedy, 26, a Clear Fork grad; Kate Arnold, 18, a Buckeye Central grad; Charity Miles, 39, from Perrysville; Chris Rahall, 28, another Clear Fork grad; Tim Weese, 37, from Bellville; and Brian Prendergast, 45, from Mansfield. All of whom have been hired to work at the corrections facility in recent months.
Those who were recently sworn in on Sept. 16 are Wendi Plaster, 39, from Galion; Brittney Bartolomea, 27, from Mansfield; and Skyler Hooper, 22, from Ontario. The three agreed that the training so far has been “interesting, exciting and very descriptive for those who are new to the program.”
Hooper, a 2009 Lexington graduate, explained that he had pursued a college education for criminal justice, hoping that would give him the edge to be able to enroll in the Police Academy. When he saw that the corrections officer position was available with the Sheriff’s Dept., he decided to take advantage of that opportunity. “I hoped and prayed and when I saw that was available I took it.”
After serving as an auxiliary police officer for over a year with the Plymouth police department, Plaster decided to come aboard with the Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. because of her passion for the law enforcement profession. “I’m still new and learning,” she said, “But, it’s been good and exciting so far.”
“They have a lot of responsibility in the correction facility, so they need to understand the moves to take control of the facility in a safe manner,” said Sgt. Will Gordon.
