WAKULLA COUNTY SGT. BOONIE MITCHELL IS WAKULLA COUNTY'S LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE YEAR.

SGT. MITCHELL WAS HIRED IN JANUARY 1989 AS A DEPUTY SHERIFF.  HE PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR THE WAKULLA COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE AS AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN. 

BOONIE HAS BEEN PROMOTED THROUGH THE RANKS TO SGT. AND LT. OF ROAD PATROL.  HE HAS HAD OVERSIGHT IN THE TRAINING OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS IN THE WAKULLA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.  SGT. MITCHELL IS A MEMBER AND LEADER OF THE SWAT TEAM AND HAS A U.S. MARSHALL SERVICE SPECIAL DEPUTY APPOINTMENT. 

CURRENTLY, BY REQUEST, HE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED AS A K-9 OFFICER WITH HIS PARTNER "GUNNIE." 

HE WAS EDUCATED IN THE WAKULLA COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND GRADUATED FROM LIVELY LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY.  HE HAS SPECIAL TRAINING AS A:

               •-          Sniper

•-          Certified Firearms Instructor

•-          Weapons of Mass Destruction

•-          Incident Command Systems

•-          Emergency Response to Terrorism

•-          Physical Evidence in Forensic Science

•-          Explosives

BOONIE HAS A 'GET IT DONE' OUTLOOK AND CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE OPERATIONAL GOALS OF THE WAKULLA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. 

HE HAS GREAT RESPECT FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND WAS OVERWHELMING NOMINATED BY HIS FELLOW EMPLOYEES, AS HIGH AS A MAJOR, TO THE ENTIRE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION UNIT, AS WELL AS CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT TO BE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE YEAR FOR 2008. 

SHERIFF HARVEY SAYS OF SGT. MITCHELL, "HE LEADS WHILE PROMOTING A TEAM EFFORT ATMOSPHERE IN ALL PHASES OF HIS ASSIGNED WORK AT THE WAKULLA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.  PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRADULATING SGT. MITCHELL FOR BEING SELECTED AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF THE YEAR."