The Bellefontaine Police Department has added three full-time officers to its ranks over the past month, continuing to strengthen the agency’s patrol division.
According to a press release per Police Chief Christopher Marlow, the newest additions are Zachary Trout, Jayde Sheeley, and Wokelle Googeg.
Zachary Trout was sworn in on June 4 by Bellefontaine Mayor David Crissman during a ceremony in Bellefontaine City Council chambers. Trout previously served as a patrol officer with the Piqua Police Department from October 2021 until February 2022 before joining the Union County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff. While in Union County, he worked as both a patrol deputy and field training officer. Trout is currently completing field training with the Bellefontaine Police Department and is expected to begin solo patrol duties soon.
Jayde Sheeley was sworn in as a full-time officer on June 23, also by Mayor Crissman in council chambers. Sheeley first joined the department as a full-time officer in May 2024 before stepping away from full-time law enforcement in July 2025, when she transitioned to an auxiliary officer role. Her return to full-time status increases the department’s number of female officers to two. Sheeley is also a trained crisis negotiator and is completing a brief refresher before returning to solo patrol duties.
Most recently, Wokelle Googeg was sworn in on July 6 after graduating from Edison State Community College’s Basic Police Academy in Piqua and successfully passing the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission certification exam. A resident of the Sidney area, Googeg will begin field training on July 27.
With the addition of Trout, Sheeley, and Googeg, the Bellefontaine Police Department continues to strengthen its patrol division with a mix of experienced officers and new talent. While Trout and Googeg are completing field training, Sheeley is finishing a refresher before returning to patrol.
Once training is complete, all three officers will serve the community in full-time patrol assignments, bringing the department’s total to 32 full-time sworn officers.
