Waylon Sharp aka "W" AGE: 59

Waylon Rand Sharp was born May 19th, 1964 to Mary and Ronald Sharp in a small bungalow located in McCreary, Kentucky. Waylons father was a coal miner and amateur bluegrass player, while his mother Mary spent her time teaching elementary school. The upbringing of being a lower middle class youth left Waylon subject to the common southern small town activities of drinking, raising hell and aspirations of getting out of his birthplace. An early fan of things like hard liquor, country music and tobacco products, Waylon was a self described ‘reckless youth.’ 

As a young man that enjoyed social sport more than academia, Waylon had few options to get out of McCreary. A natural talent extended to him from his father was the ability to play the Banjo. After reading an ad in a magazine, Waylon hitchhiked from Kentucky to El Reno at the age of 18 in an attempt to win a music competition. He arrived in El Reno and was discouraged to learn the competition had been canceled due to an entertainment industry union strike. He was out of money and in need of a future. 

After getting kicked out of the motel he was staying in, Waylon took to the streets staying in a local rest area. In the middle of the night, Waylon woke up to a vagrant holding a sharp knife to his neck. The man said to Waylon, “Give me your coat fool” - In shock, Waylon rested as the man took what valuable possession he had left. The man continued to riffle through his pockets, when Waylon heard a bang. His ears alerted with pain as the ringing got louder and louder. Shifting his focus from the loud noise, Waylon realized he was covered in blood. Looking up he then saw a man in a gray and black uniform holding a gun, a New Malverne State Trooper. 

The man stood tall with gray hair and a steady aim. His uniform was perfectly starched, his mustache well groomed. His gold nameplate read, “Hodges” and his campaign cover in the drama of the incident was still perfectly balanced. 

Sitting covered in a warm blanket, the EMTs helped to clean the vagrant's worthless blood and brain matter from his face and hair. Waylon was still in shock, but was drawn to the figure that had saved his life. The scene began to close and Waylon was worried where he would go next. The thought lingering in his mind, the tall man in gray and black walked over to him. “Boy, come here, We’ll get you fixed right.” Trooper Hodges said. Waylon went home with the man for the night before Trooper Hodges helped get him situated in a home. 

Waylon owed a great debt to Trooper Hodges. His life forever impacted by this event, Waylon would graduate from the New Malverne Department of Public Safety Trooper School in 1990. Waylon would serve the majority of his career in Mercer County. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a 5-time award recipient of the Governors Highway Safety Office Cross. Waylon, a 3-time A.C.E Trooper of the Year was appointed NMDPS Colonel in 2020 by Governor Miriam Ivey. 

Waylon has been divorced on 3 separate occasions. His friends call him “W”.