
Cheyenne Police Officers and Employees Honored at Awards Ceremony
More than 60 Cheyenne Police officers and professional staff employees were awarded for exceptional performance in their duties during the agency's annual awards ceremony Wednesday evening.
Awards were presented in 14 categories, including Officer of the Year, Specialty Officer of the Year, Civilian of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Chief's Award, Medal of Valor, Meritorious Service Awards, Lifesaving Award, Unit Citation, Commendations Awards, Longevity Awards, Top Shot, Marksmanship Awards, and Physical Fitness Awards.

"Each officer, civilian, and volunteer plays a crucial role in the overall success of our operations and the well-being of our community," said Chief Mark Francisco.
"The stories (below) are just a snapshot of the outstanding work that occurs each and every day at the Cheyenne Police Department," added Francisco. "It’s important to gather together on an annual basis and celebrate these achievements."
2024 Cheyenne Police Department Awards
Officer of the Year – Officer Nicholas Gordon
The Officer of the Year award was presented to Officer Nicholas Gordon. Having only served in the department for two years, he has performed at an exceptionally high level and eagerly supported his team while taking on multiple roles – a patrol officer, new SWAT team member, substitute Field Training Officer, and briefing instructor.
Specialty Officer of the Year – Detective Matthew Freeman
Detective Matthew Freeman received Specialty Officer of the Year for his outstanding work as an investigator. He was recognized for his overall body of work while serving the Detective Bureau, as well as the determination he exhibited during a large-scale property crime investigation. Additional highlights included overdose and drug distribution cases.
Civilian of the Year – Kaleb Thompson
The Civilian of the Year award was presented to Kaleb Thompson, the department’s new crime analyst. He played a key role in establishing the Crime Prevention Team alongside Sgt. Eric Norris, creating a Gang Task Force, and advancing intelligence collection. This led to major investigative breakthroughs, including solving a series of over 60 burglaries.
Volunteer of the Year – Tom Heritage
Tom Heritage was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for his expertise in advancing cold case investigations. A retired detective, he re-organized hundreds of files and pieces of evidence in the Coin Shop Double Homicide, aiding its resolution. He is now reviewing the department’s last unsolved homicide case.
Chief’s Award – Detective James Pendleton and Lt. Adam DeBall
Chief Francisco presented the Chief’s Award to two employees who made a significant impact in the Detective Bureau.
Detective James Pendleton was honored for his work in solving one of Cheyenne’s most infamous cold cases, the 2015 Coin Shop Double Homicide. He dedicated countless hours to re-examining evidence which ultimately led to the arrest and charging of the suspect who remains in custody awaiting trial.
RELATED: Man Charged With 2015 Cheyenne Coin Shop Murders Bound Over
Lt. Adam DeBall was also awarded for his leadership in the bureau. Having not been a detective previously, he embraced the challenge with a thorough systems review that led to improvements in case assignment, tracking, and closure. DeBall also supported his team and provided them with resources – efforts that directly contributed to solving the cold case.
Medal of Valor – Officer Reece Federer, Officer Kilian Sweet, and Sgt. Zack Johnson
The Medal of Valor, the highest decoration awarded by the Cheyenne Police Department, was presented to these three for their extraordinary heroism during a dangerous domestic violence incident. Facing gunfire, they bravely entered a residence, engaged an armed suspect, and ultimately saved the victim’s life.
RELATED: Cheyenne Police Release Video of Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting
Meritorious Service Awards – Sgt. Eric Norris, Detective Jeremy Walker, Detective Jeffrey Cover, Officer Mark Ehlman, Officer Kilian Sweet, and Detective Damon Hall (not pictured)
Lifesaving Award – Officer Daniel vanSwearingen, Officer Kilian Sweet, Officer Nathanial Lucero, and Officer Audrey McGraw
Heroic stories were highlighted during the event – like that of these four officers. In March, they noticed a man standing on the top ledge of a parking garage. He voiced his desire to jump off, but their patience, kindness, and quick actions saved the man’s life.
Unit Citation - Officer Nathanial Lucero, Officer Joseph Rodriquez, Officer Robert Wingeleth, Officer Salofi Gaoa, Officer Nathan Marshall (not pictured), and Officer Brian Wiltjer (not pictured)
Unit Citation - Officer Robert Wingeleth, Officer Lisa Koeppel, Officer James Womack, Officer Cole Tompkins, SFC Ryan Trimble, Officer Mark Ehlman, and Sgt. Matthew Colson
Unit Citation - Officer Kilian Sweet, Officer Talmage Peden, Officer Jeremiah Keslar, Officer Kacey Fuller, Officer Lucas Bray, Officer Audrey McGraw, and Officer Jayson Tretter (not pictured)
Unit Citation – Detective Matthew Freeman, Detective Craig Sanne, Detective Sean Smith, and Detective Ty Volin
Unit Citation - Officer Salofi Gaoa, Officer Timothy Painter, Officer David Inman, Officer Joseph Rodriquez, Officer Matthew Ryan, and Officer Robert Wingeleth
Unit Citation - Nancy Cruff, Charles Cruff, Andrea Gold, and Joseph Ordway
Commendation Awards – Officer Colin Brengman, Officer Blake Martin, Officer Audrey McGraw, Officer Brendan Tait, Officer Jayson Tretter, Officer Benjamin Vapenik
Longevity Awards – Officer Pat Johnston (15 years/K9 Unit), Detective Brian Davis (5 Years/SWAT)
Top Shot – Officer Cole Tompkins
Marksmanship Awards - Chief Mark Francisco, Officer Timothy Painter
Physical Fitness Awards - Sgt. Zac Bentley, Detective Aaron Willmarth, Detective Matthew Freeman, Detective Matthew Ryan, Detective Ty Volin, SRO Ian Lohnes, SRO Micah Veniegas, SRO Mike Fernandez, Officer Blake Martin, Officer Brian Ahearn, Officer Brian Davis, Officer Daelan Morris, Officer Daniel vanSwearingen, Officer David Inman, Officer Eric Smale, Officer James McClaskey, Officer Jesse Horne, Officer Jim Eddy, Officer Justin Young, Officer Kaitlin Peterson, Officer Kilian Sweet, Officer Marcus Hairston-Payton, Officer Nathanial Lucero, Officer Nicholas Gordon, Officer Reece Federer, Officer Timothy Painter
Meet the Four-Legged Heroes of the Cheyenne Police Department
Gallery Credit: Joy Greenwald
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