Curtis
Dowdle, right,
SCC director of
public safety
training, and
Sonja Haynes,
left, SCC foundation
director, present
David Hyde, a
Spring SCC criminal
justice graduate
from Sylva, second
from left, with
the Lt. Ellith
McFalls Basic
Law Enforcement
Training Scholarship.
The scholarship
was established
by McFalls’
widow, Melissa
McFalls Mathis,
third from left,
and daughters
Jessica and Chastity.
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A student who once received
training under Lt. Ellith
McFalls was named the scholarship
recipient in the late officer’s
honor.
David Hyde of Sylva received
the Lt. Ellith McFalls Basic
Law Enforcement Training
Scholarship. A spring graduate
of Southwestern Community
College’s criminal
justice program, Hyde plans
to pursue a bachelor’s
degree in criminal justice
at Western Carolina University.
The scholarship was named
for McFalls, an SCC criminal
justice graduate who was
struck by a cerebral aneurysm
while on duty in 2006. The
44-year-old native and lifelong
resident of Jackson County
worked for the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office for
17 years and was a member
of the Sheriff’s Emergency
Tactical Team. It was in
that capacity that Hyde
met McFalls during his senior
class project at Smoky Mountain
High School.
“Chip Beegle, a deputy
with the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Department,
was my class project mentor
and for several of our meetings
Lt. McFalls came and helped
me. I was studying what
the Sheriff’s Emergency
Tactical Team does, especially
during a hostage situation,
and Lt. McFalls showed me
pointers like how to enter
a room. I knew he was the
team’s sniper and
I learned a lot from him.
He and deputy Donnie Allen
assisted in helping me video
some maneuvers so I would
have a visual to show at
my project presentation,”
said Hyde, who has been
interested in law enforcement
since he was three years
old.
Lt. McFalls was promoted
to Lieutenant over the Sheriff’s
Office Civil Process Division
in 2006. Previously he served
in that division for eight
months as the civil process
sergeant. Before serving
in the civil process division,
Lt. McFalls served as a
patrol sergeant and patrol
deputy.
Contributions to the Lt.
Ellith McFalls Basic Law
Enforcement Training Scholarship
Fund can be sent to Southwestern
Community College, 447 College
Dr., Sylva, N.C. 28779.
For more information on
the scholarship contact
Curtis Dowdle at 828.369.0591.
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