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OUR
TEAM

OUR
TEAM

Board of Directors

Randy Sutton

Founder & Chair of the Board
Lieutenant Randy Sutton (Ret.) is a distinguished figure in the law enforcement community. With over 34 years of service, he brings a wealth of expertise to the table.

Sutton founded the Wounded Blue as a means to support injured and disabled law enforcement officers. As the Chair of the Board of Directors, he leads initiatives aimed at providing assistance and resources to those who have sacrificed for the safety of others.

In addition to his contributions in law enforcement, Sutton is a prolific author, and his insights have earned him appearances in movies and TV shows, solidifying his reputation as the "voice of American law enforcement." 

Bret Rawson

Executive Board Member, Vice President

As an attorney specializing in police-related matters, Bret Rawson represents many law enforcement officers in the Intermountain West. Additionally, he serves as a Reserve Police Officer in a local municipality, taking pride in his service to the community of North Salt Lake. 







Betsy Brantner Smith

Executive Board Member, Secretary

Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith (ret.) was a police officer for 29 years in the Chicago suburbs and is an internationally known law enforcement trainer, author and consultant. Betsy is married to Dave “JD Buck Savage” Smith and is the spokesperson for the National Police Association.









Giovanni Rocco

Executive Board Member, Treasurer

Retired officer and federal, covert operative of 30 years, Giovanni Rocco now contributes his time to developing mental health and reahab programs that are designed to engage and strengthen the law enforcement community. He is also the author of “Giovanni’s Ring: My Life Inside the Real Sopranos” in which he details the years spent as an undercover FBI agent inside the American mafia.






Ron Coury

Board Member
Ron Coury, a former U.S. Marine, relocated to Las Vegas after his active duty stint ended in 1973. He recently released his autobiography, Tenacity, on Amazon. It describes his life as a youth in Brooklyn, New York, his military experience and many of the 20 businesses he founded or purchased throughout his Las Vegas residency in the last 47 years.

Christopher Darcy

Board Member

With over 32 years of law enforcement experience, Chris founded Fairfax Consulting Group, LLC., a consulting company that provides expert opinions, conducts evidence based investigations, and consults in public safety matters with clients across the United States. Undersheriff (Ret.) Christopher Darcy was second in command of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). Chris has been at the forefront of leading change for the LVMPD in using force, duty to intervene, search warrant service pursuits, and in-custody deaths.

Michael Dichiaro

Board Member


Michael Dichiaro is the founder of Nevada Holdings. With 42 years of business experience under his belt, he has taken a special interest in the success of our Peer Support Teams.














Von Kliem

Board Member

With 30+ years in the criminal justice profession, Von worked as a civilian police officer, attorney, educator, and author. He was a senior policy attorney for Lexipol and is currently the CEO & Director of Consulting at Force Science. As a nationally recognized use-of-force expert, Von has presented training for the FBI LEEDS program, the U.S. Marshals, the American Counsel of Second Amendment Lawyers, the Use of Force Summit, the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, and countless local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, police executives, and attorneys. Von holds a Bachelor’s in Crime and Delinquency Studies, a Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration, a Law Degree (J.D.), and a Master’s in Law post-graduate degree (LL.M.). He is licensed to practice law in VA and KS.

John Krupinsky

Board Member

Sgt. John Krupinsky has been serving his community as a police officer for 40 years. He is the President of the Connecticut State Fraternal Order of Police and was the recipient of the FOX News Patriot Award.











Dr. Travis Yates

Board Member

With over 30 years of law enforcement experience with 27 years in supervision and management, Travis now conducts seminars on risk management, officer safety and leadership. He has have been thousands of law enforcement professionals across the globe including 46 states and 3 countries. The author of the best-selling book, “The Courageous Police Leader,” Travis has a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership from Liberty University and graduated from the 227 th session of the FBI National Academy. His consulting and training in the area of leadership continues to push law enforcement to a mission focused-employee support model that significant enhances employee wellness.

Leadership Team | Directors

Jesse J. Watts

Executive Director
Jesse is the Retired Sheriff-Coroner of Eureka County, Nevada.
Jesse has a lifetime of Public Service, starting as a Law Enforcement Explorer and Cadet at the age of 12 years old.

Jesse was elected the 30th Sheriff-Coroner of Eureka County in 2018, then re-elected in 2022.

In 2021, Jesse was recognized for his leadership, as the Courageous Police Leader of the Year by LawOfficer.com. As part of the nomination, the following was written. “Sheriff Watts has embraced communication to his community at the highest level while not backing down in the face of corrupt politicians that are seeking to not only destroy the very fabric of law enforcement but the safety of the citizens. Jesse has certainly been attacked for his courage and his resolve made him a leader that we certainly wanted to recognize”

Jesse currently serves as the Vice President of the Northern Nevada Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, helping rebuild the shattered lives of families and co-workers of those killed in the line of duty.

Tim Putney

Director of Peer Support

Tim is currently a Detective Sergeant at a Sheriff’s Office in North Texas. He has been in Law Enforcement for 18 years, working in Narcotics, K9 and Investigations.

Tim believes it is important to help injured officers navigate life after a critical incident and walk alongside them through some of the hardest times.

His personal experience includes his own on-duty injury in 2017, where he sustained severe spinal cord injuries and being forced out due to his injury by his Police Department he worked for at the time.

Tim joined The Wounded Blue in 2022 because he believes advocating for injured officers is a priority.

His wife, Chelsea is a part of the Spousal Peer Support team and has been on the team since 2021.

Bob Bemis

Director of Training

Sergeant Robert “Bob” Bemis, retired in 2017 as a Supervisor in the Operational Training Division at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey, PA. With over 30 years of law enforcement experience, Sgt. Bemis had assignments as a Patrol Trooper and Supervisor, a crime scene investigator, and as a long-time law enforcement trainer. He also served as a Military Policeman in the United States Marine Corps. In 2015, Bob sustained life altering injuries in the line of duty after being struck by a vehicle on an interstate highway.

Bob Bemis was recognized by The Wounded Blue in 2024 when he was awarded The Order Of The Blue Heart at the 2024 Law Enforcement Survival Summit. 
BLUE HEART

Dr. Trevor Wilkins, Ph.D

Clinical Director
Trevor Wilkins served 15-years with law enforcement. He is now serving as a licensed, clinical counselor in the Lexington, KY area. He specializes in the symptoms related to trauma, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Trevor is trained and experienced in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (at The Soldier Center), and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (at Chicago REBT).

John Dean Harper

Esq., Legal Counsel

The Wounded Blue’s outside General Counsel has extensive experience forming, advising and assisting with the operation of non-profit organizations, with a concentration in law enforcement associations. For over two decades, Harper was Chief General Counsel with the Las Vegas Police Protective Association Metro, Inc. (outside counsel the last five years) and has represented officers involved in over 350 critical incidents and officers injured in the line of duty.

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