By Ja’Kori Madison
The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. — Deputy Kiley Krull had no idea her voluntary training would allow her to become the first female deputy in the history of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office to earn the agency’s expert marksmanship badge.
The badge is awarded to those who complete an advanced firearms course which was created by training director Capt. Neil Whatley.
For Krull, a resource officer at North Central High School, the decision to push herself came from the responsibility she feels walking school hallways every day. With school shootings becoming more common nationwide, Krull said she never wants to question whether she could protect her students.
“I’m protecting people’s children every day,” she said. “If anything ever happened, I want to know I can protect them. You can never be too prepared.”
The qualification for a expert marksmanship badge involves timed stages, movement and simulated high-pressure scenarios designed to push deputies beyond the standard requirements for law enforcement officers.
“It really challenges your ability to shoot effectively under pressure. Seeing that badge basically means hard work does pay off,” Krull said.
Krull’s motivation also traces back to her father, who has served in law enforcement for two decades and set the example she now strives to match. She entered the field after working industrial jobs in Texas , briefly studying medical assisting, and eventually realizing she wanted to follow his path. Krull started in corrections before moving into the school resource officer division this year.
Balancing that hard work with raising two children as a single mother made the accomplishment even more meaningful, she said.
“Being a young mom doing this alone, it’s an accomplishment,” she said. “I hope my kids can look back one day and be proud of the things I’ve achieved.”
Her supervisor, Capt. Thomas Kimrey, a firearms instructor who trained her throughout the process, intentionally didn’t tell her that no woman had ever completed the course. According to Krull, he wanted her focused solely on performance, not be pressured because of the title. As Krull trained with a small group of deputies every Friday for about a month, she completed the course on her third attempt.
“Some things don’t fall into your lap,” she said. “Set goals and keep pushing. Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you can’t succeed.”
Krull said she hopes her achievement encourages more St. Landry officers to pursue advanced firearms training, especially those working in schools or high-risk environments.
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