Patrick County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy W.D. Haymore recently finished in first place at a law enforcement precision rifle/sniper competition, according to Sheriff Dan Smith. The competition was held April 20 in Bassett, and was hosted by REKKR Tactical Concepts.
Teams from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Patrick County Sheriff’s Office and multiple law enforcement agencies from Rockingham County, Va., participated in the event. Haymore had the highest individual score, leading the next closest competitor by ten points.
“He’s a natural,” said Sheriff Smith of Haymore’s marksmanship abilities. Haymore is a 13-year veteran of the office and currently serves as the school resource officer at Patrick County High School. He is also a member of the office’s Tactical Response Team (TRT).
The sheriff stated that the competition challenged every aspect of the officers shooting ability. “Stress was incorporated into every event, stationary and moving targets had to be engaged from both known and unknown distances, and shots had to be taken with elevated heart rates,” Smith said.
Investigator Steve Austin, Deputy Haymore, Major Garry Brown and Sheriff Smith represented the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office in the event. Investigator Steve Austin and Haymore finished second among team scores, and Major Brown and Sheriff Smith finished in third place. A team from Rockingham County took first place honors.
The sheriff said that a strong precision rifle operator/sniper program is essential to every law enforcement agency, particularly rural agencies, because it is more common to encounter suspects armed with rifles in rural settings. Smith stated that his office has worked hard over the past ten years to build this capability into a comprehensive, practical program that ultimately makes both citizens and law enforcement officers safer.
To qualify as a law enforcement sniper, a minimum 40-hour precision rifle operator/sniper training must be completed. “This was one of the most intense trainings I have ever attended, it was physically exhausting and mentally draining,” according to Smith.
All law enforcement snipers must have successfully completed a basic week-long special weapons and tactics (SWAT) school and obtain advance active shooter response training. “All of our patrol deputies, with the exception of two, are certified SWAT officers, and those two will be certified before the end of the year,” Smith said. “I don’t know of another law enforcement agency that puts this much training into its first responding law enforcement officers, I want them to be ready for anything they may encounter so that they can better protect the public and themselves,” Smith said.
Captain Rob Coleman, Master Deputy Winfred Hill, Master Deputy Haymore, Major Brown, Investigator Austin, Sheriff Smith and Auxiliary Deputy Dwayne Wright are all certified law enforcement snipers. Coleman has also completed additional training certifying him as a law enforcement sniper instructor.
