Hey Chaplain: The Police Wellness Podcast

127 - Shot, Stabbed, and Other Stressors: Sonny and Mikaela Byerley

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] Today we're talking to Sheriff Sonny Byerley and his wife Mikaela.  I met Sonny and Mikaela because they have begun traveling to police wellness conferences to share their experiences about PTSD.  Sonny is a cop's cop: strong, independent, and self-reliant, but he's also a cop who has survived being shot and stabbed on multiple occasions and has endured all kinds of other traumas that a lot of officers can relate to.   In today's interview we're going to focus on Sonny's story and a few of the traumatic incidents he's experienced.  But then I'm going to produce a part two episode for next week that will look at the effects that thirty years of trauma began to have on Sonny and Mikaela.  So part one will be all the gruesome stories, part two will be the impact it had on the Sheriff.  You're really going to want to hear both sides. Music is by Wes Hutchinson Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 127, Part One Tags: PTSD, Career, Injuries, Police, Rural Policing, Sheriff, Shooting, Stabbing, Trauma, Branson, Ferguson, Missouri Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

126.5 - Family Liaison after a Line of Duty Death: Gregg Dorsett

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] In the summer of 2025, one of my patrol officers, Hunter Simoncic, was struck by a car and killed in the line of duty. As part of the grieving process, we are sharing our experiences with you that you might be better prepared for the impossible tasks that immediately follow a line of duty death. One of the most difficult is that of family liaison officer.  A family liaison is assigned to the family of a fallen officer, to advocate for the family's needs, to communicate to them about police traditions and the departments needs, and be the point of contact for the countless questions that arise when everyone has just had their worst possible day. Our guest for this interview is friend of the show Captain Gregg Dorsett.  Captain Dorsett was asked to be a family liaison officer for the Simoncic family and he agreed to let me debrief him and share his experience with you.  To go from police commander and decision maker to family advocate in the midst of strongest possible emotions… well, that's a journey I think everyone can gain from hearing about. Concerns of Police Survivors can help families and coworkers.  Their website is https://www.concernsofpolicesurvivors.org [https://www.concernsofpolicesurvivors.org/] Music is by the Westerlies Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 126 Part 2 Tags: Family Liaison, Coroner, Family, Funeral Homes, Hospital, Memorials, Morgue, Murder, Paperwork, Planning, Police, Post-Mortem, Processions, Sympathy, Kansas City, Kansas Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

126 - Planning a Line of Duty Death Funeral: Shenee Davis

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] In the summer of 2025 my hometown of Kansas City, Kansas, lost two officers murdered in the line of duty: Deputy Elijah Ming and Officer Hunter Simoncic.  Because they were killed just 30 days apart, we had two large, complex, line of duty death funerals at the local major league soccer stadium, one funeral just a few weeks after the other.  We are still grieving and trying to process these losses, and as part of that process I wanted to offer our experiences as a resource to other agencies. The guest for this interview Captain Shenee Davis-Kross from the police department.  She was involved in the logistics and planning for both funerals, starting with the motorcycle escorts for the fallen and extending to an almost endless list of other responsibilities in the Op Plan.  Though Captain Davis was just one part of a much larger team, I felt she represented the group's experience really well and I think you'll learn a lot from what she went through. Music is by the Westerlies Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 126 Tags: Line of Duty Death, Ceremonies, Family, Funeral, Helicopters, Liaisons, Logistics, Motorcycles, Murder, Police, Sheriff, Snipers, Sporting KC, SWAT, Taps, Kansas City, Kansas Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

Spooky San Francisco: Jim Dudley - Bonus Ep 46

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] It's that time of year again to talk about those spooky stories and things that go bump in the night.  This time we're looking at San Francisco and talking to friend of the show, JIm Dudley.  Jim has been on the show multiple times and just to remind you he's a retired deputy chief from the San Francisco PD with over 30 years experience, he teaches at San Francisco State University, and hosts the Policing Matters podcast.  Even though Jim and I both share the opinion that most spooky things can be easily explained by natural causes, that doesn't mean we haven't had a few moments that give you pause as you sort out what this means. Music is by Brian Bolger Hey Chaplain Podcast Bonus Episode 46 Tags: Halloween, Aliens, CIT, Chainsaws, Community Policing, Costumes, Drugs, Ghosts, Hauntings, Holidays, Kidnapping, Patrol, Police, Spooky, Superstitions, Warlocks, San Francisco, California Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

125 - The ATF Gun Guy: Mark Brock

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] So a few years back I was at a police department promotion ceremony and began chatting with a guest who was an ATF civilian analyst.  Every gun story he told was fascinating.  Every insight he had on firearms was spot on.  He was good humored and friendly, so I asked him right there, would you ever consider coming on the Hey Chaplain podcast?  We can talk guns, we can talk the ATF, I just want to get you on the show.  He was very agreeable, but he said, we'll have to run it by legal first.   Three years later… We now have Mark Brock here to talk about crime scenes, firearms and ammunition, working for the ATF as a retirement job, and which sidearm is best for police officers. Music is by Wes Hutchinsona Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 125 Tags: ATF, 1911, Ammunition, Armorer, CSI, Crime Scenes, Cold Cases, Deputy, Firearms, Forensics, Glock, Guns, Sidearms, Sheriff, Shooting, Sights, Buchanan County, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Missouri  Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]