Meet the 2025 IACP/Motorola Solutions Trooper of the Year Finalists!

Each year the IACP and Motorola Solutions recognize state troopers and provincial police who have demonstrated bravery, courage, leadership, and professionalism. At the annual Division Midyear meeting, the IACP and Motorola Solutions honor four regional finalists and announce the IACP/Motorola Solutions Trooper of the Year. 
 
Motorola Solutions is proud to partner with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to honor the selfless work being done in police agencies every day around the world. Men and women in state and provincial police agencies know the situations they face can change in an instant, yet they continue to put their lives on the line to help keep their communities safe. Motorola Solutions humbly recognizes the brave efforts of our four finalists and the sacrifices made by all law enforcement.
 
There were many submissions detailing the courageous, dedicated acts of troopers in state and provincial agencies that exemplify what it means to serve and protect their communities.  This year’s regional finalists are: 

Trooper Kyle Knievel
South Dakota Highway Patrol
IACP State and Provincial Police Division - Mountain Pacific Region

On August 5, 2025, Cheyenne River Tribal Police officers pursued a suspect, a violent felon with a federal warrant, after responding to a report of shots fired. Cheyenne River officers requested assistance from the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and Trooper Kyle Knievel responded. 

The pursuit crossed multiple jurisdictions and ended when spike strips disabled the suspect's vehicle. After the vehicle veered into a ditch, the suspect exchanged gunfire with officers, fled into the darkness, and forced his way into a nearby home, taking a woman hostage at gunpoint. 

The suspect then forced the woman into her vehicle and fled again. Trooper Knievel observed the vehicle leaving and initiated a pursuit. During the chase, the suspect fired a rifle round through a pursuing trooper’s windshield, narrowly missing him. The hostage was able to call 911 from inside the suspect's vehicle, and confirmed she was being held at gunpoint. 

After officers deployed spike strips a second time, the suspect dragged the woman from the vehicle, using her as a human shield with a gun to her head as she screamed for help. Officers issued commands for the suspect to drop his weapon, but the threat remained imminent. 

Recognizing the hostage was in immediate danger of being killed, Trooper Knievel moved to a position with a clear line of sight and, exposing himself without cover, fired two precise rounds, stopping the suspect. The hostage was rescued unharmed.

Trooper John Winebrenner 
Virginia State Police 
IACP State and Provincial Police Division - North Atlantic Region

On December 29, 2025, Trooper John Winebrenner received a BOLO from Virginia State Police (VSP) Dispatch for a vehicle that had previously fled from local law enforcement. During the earlier pursuit, a local officer crashed and lost sight of the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect, a convicted felon known to local law enforcement, was wanted for multiple firearms violations. 

When Trooper Winebrenner located the suspect’s vehicle, he attempted a traffic stop. The suspect refused to stop, initiating a five‑minute pursuit that ended when Trooper Winebrenner performed a pursuit intervention technique (PIT), forcing the vehicle off the roadway. With his vehicle pinned between a fence and Trooper Winebrenner’s patrol vehicle, the suspect immediately opened fire from the driver’s seat. 

Under heavy gunfire, Trooper Winebrenner exited his patrol vehicle and engaged the suspect with his service pistol. During the exchange, Trooper Winebrenner sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm and shrapnel injuries to his head and face. Despite these injuries, he continued to fight and employed the necessary force to stop the attack. The suspect succumbed to his injuries at the scene. 

After the threat was stopped, Trooper Winebrenner applied a tourniquet to his arm and calmly notified VSP Dispatch, requesting emergency medical services. A few minutes later, local law enforcement officers arrived and transported him to a nearby hospital. 

Trooper Adam Ellis
Kansas Highway Patrol
IACP State and Provincial Police Division - North Central Region

On November 15, 2025, Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) Trooper Adam Ellis responded to a volatile domestic violence call in rural Osage County involving an armed suspect experiencing a mental health crisis. Upon arrival, he encountered the combative suspect in a doorway with family members nearby. After prolonged de‑escalation efforts, a deputy deployed a Taser to stop the suspect from retreating inside, causing him to fall back into the home. Fearing a woman inside was in danger, Trooper Ellis advanced to secure the suspect. As he opened the screen door, the suspect drew a handgun and shot Trooper Ellis in the face and shoulder. 

Despite severe injuries, Trooper Ellis rolled to cover and returned fire from the ground with his patrol rifle. With help from another trooper, he reached safety and received immediate medical care. The suspect continued firing from inside and later attempted to flank the deputies, endangering other occupants of the residence. In the ensuing gunfire, the suspect was fatally shot. 

All three deputies were also shot during the incident. Trooper Ellis was rushed to a hospital in Topeka, then airlifted to the University of Kansas Medical Center for extensive reconstructive surgery. Remarkably, all four injured officers are expected to recover. 

Trooper Ellis had graduated from the KHP Academy less than six months earlier and completed field training only two weeks before the incident. 

Trooper Paul Thomas
Kentucky State Police
IACP State and Provincial Police Division - Southern Region

On January 28, 2025, Rowan County Dispatch received 911 calls reporting that a woman in Morehead, Kentucky, had been stabbed and was being held at knifepoint by an attacker. Callers reported that the suspect threatened to kill the woman and any responding officers. Kentucky State Police Trooper Paul Thomas responded alongside officers from the Morehead Police department. As they arrived, a woman ran from an SUV and reported that she could hear her friend screaming inside, confirming the suspect’s threats. 

Trooper Thomas and a Morehead officer went to the front door, announced themselves, and heard the victim pleading for help. When the suspect refused commands and the threat became imminent, the officers forced entry through a barricaded door on an ice‑covered porch. 

Inside, officers found the victim trapped in an overturned recliner. The suspect knelt behind her with a knife. Ignoring repeated commands, he continued to restrain her. Trooper Thomas moved to pull the suspect off the victim and saw the knife positioned at the victim’s neck. 

Recognizing the immediate threat to the victim's life, Trooper Thomas fired two rounds, striking the suspect and ending the attack. Officers pulled the victim to safety while Trooper Thomas rendered aid to the suspect. EMS transported both individuals; suspect later died, and the victim was treated and released.

IACP and Motorola Solutions look forward to honoring the finalists on March 12th from 6:00pm-9:00pm at the 2026 Division Midyear in Boston, Massachusetts. To learn more about the 2026 Division Midyear meeting, click here.