ASU criminal justice department named in honor of Patrick Weatherford
Arkansas State University-Newport named its criminal justice department in honor of UA Little Rock alumnus Patrick Weatherford, a Newport police officer who was killed in the line of duty while at a traffic stop with another officer on June 12.
Police officers from the Newport Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, and area police departments attended the Nov. 30 ceremony naming the department the “Lieutenant Patrick Weatherford Criminal Justice Department.”
Weatherford graduated from University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a master’s degree in criminal justice in May. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the university in 2015. He was a devoted husband and father, 15-year Newport police force veteran, and former part-time ASU-Newport campus officer.
Weatherford was awarded the Jackson County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award in 2016. His skills, courage, and inner strength enabled him to be one of three Newport law enforcement officers to graduate from the FBI National Academy Program in 2016.
The Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees approved the resolution to name the department on Sept. 15.
Photo of Lt. Patrick Weatherford courtesy of Arkansas State University-Newport.