Full Notification

What: Thirty-five cadets are graduating from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Basic Peace Officer’s Course and joining the deputy ranks. These cadets entered the academy in January, and have been trained on the Texas penal code, traffic law, firearms, defensive tactics, Taser, de-escalation, mental health, active shooter, traffic stops, and arrest search and seizure. Their physical training included a 7-mile cross country run.

Who: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez will address the newly minted deputies. Their ranks include:
• Fourteen women, who earned three of the class’s four squad leader positions.
• Valedictorian Mireille Njine speaks multiple languages and is the oldest graduate at age 48.
• Cadets Jose Sanchez and Juan Martinez are both former members of the HCSO youth explorers program.
• Cadet Jonathan Ajayi is a former Harris County Jail psychiatric technician, and he ran the fastest 1.5-mile academy time in recent memory.
• Cadet Joel Bello is the top physical training performer, and he matched Ajayi’s 1.5-mile run time.
• Cadet Alejandro Jimenez is the class’s top marksperson.
• Cadet Valen Broadhead is a graduate of the Leadership Development Institute Class No. 4.

When: Thursday, Aug. 30 at 10 a.m.

Where: Humble Civic Center, 8233 Will Clayton Parkway