Photo by Mike Brothers
Chief Jim Waggoner earned this yellow brick for completing the 6.2 mile Yellow Brick Road run the final week of training at the FBI Quanito, Va academy.

•April 10, 2019•
I’ve had a great run, and I know I’m leaving the police department in good hands,” Sullivan Chief of Police Jim Waggoner said on his final day of work April 4.
Waggoner ends 30 years with the Sullivan Police Department officially May 3. Then newly elected Sullivan mayor Richard Glazebrook will appoint the new chief of police.
“Assistant chief of police Andrew Pistorius is interim chief and hopefully will be the next chief,” Waggoner said.
In November 2016 assistant chief of police Waggoner accepted the reins from retiring chief John Love,to whom Waggoner refers as one of his greatest mentors.
“When I came on the force, he treated me like a brother,” Waggoner said, noting he has worked for some great chiefs such as Roger Hansen, Joe Thompson and Love.
“With police work 95% of the time is spent waiting for the 5% which is like going over the falls in a barrel,” the retiring chief said. “Most of what we get to do in a small town is positive which most people don’t get to see.”
That five percent of the time when the blood pressure is up and adrenaline is flowing, leave lasting memories for the outgoing chief and not all of them are good.
Over the course of 30 years you can see a lot, even in a town the size of Sullivan. “There are things that you can’t unsee,” Waggoner said, noting those are the images haunt you in the night, and everyone in law enforcement has them.
He noted hopefully over time the good will help drive those memories away.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.