Two New Troopers Report to Evansville District
Evansville – This morning, Trooper Nick Hatfield and Trooper Hunter Manning reported to the Evansville District to begin their new careers as Indiana State Troopers. They were among 47 graduates of the 73rd Indiana State Police Academy, which graduated May 1 in Indianapolis.
The 73rd State Police Academy began November 10, 2013, after 3,000 applications were submitted and 80 people were selected to attend. Of the 80 that started, 47 graduated after completing 25 weeks of training that included 600 hours of classroom instruction and nearly 300 hours of hands-on practical and scenario based training exercises.
Trooper Hatfield, 30, is a native of Oaktown and a 2001 graduate of North Knox High School. He currently has 60 college credit hours and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Hatfield spent five years in the United States Army and was deployed to Iraq on two different occasions between 2003 and 2008. After being honorably discharged from the military, Hatfield was employed as a police officer with the Sullivan Police Department from August 2008 to March 2013. After 4 ½ years, he was hired as an internal affairs police officer with the Indiana Department of Corrections at Carlisle where he worked six-months before being hired by the Indiana State Police. Hatfield and his wife, Hannah, reside in Knox County with their two children.
Trooper Hunter Manning, 22, is a native of Petersburg and a 2010 graduate of Pike Central High School. He later attended Vincennes University where he received an Associate’s Degree in Conservation Law. Manning was employed as a correctional officer with the Pike County Sheriff’s Department before being hired by the Indiana State Police. Manning and his fiancée, Lindsey McLain, reside in Pike County.
Both troopers start their 14 weeks of field training with experienced troopers today. The program allows them to put the skills and knowledge they gained in the academy to work in the field. Upon successful completion of the field training program, they will receive their own patrol car and begin solo patrol responsibilities.
Photo 1: Trooper Nick Hatfield
Photo 2: Trooper Hunter Manning
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