Salem’s 2023 Police Officer of the Year is a former state tournament wrestler who already has demonstrated in his young career that he will go to the mat to protect his family, his co-workers, and the community he represents.
“Growing up I learned that you take care of your family, and you always look out for one another,” Jonah Turpin, Salem’s 2023 Officer of the Year said. “When you are respectful to other people and treat them right, it lets them know what type of person you are.”
Turpin’s fellow officers had no trouble figuring out what he was made of right away, as they voted the rookie officer the department’s top cop for saving lives in Salem in a variety of ways during the past calendar year.
“It is gratifying to see a young man understand what service to others actually means,” said Salem Police Chief Mike Crawley. “In a society that has developed a ‘look at me’ mentality, Jonah is what I would call a throwback, an old soul who treats everyone with dignity and respect regardless of the circumstances. I know his family and upbringing have played huge roles in the person he has become, and his future is incredibly bright.”
Turpin grew up in the small community of Piney in rural Wythe County. His grandfather was a police officer at Virginia Tech and his father is still working in law enforcement in Bland County. He learned a great deal from both men, but also from observing others.
“If you really wanted to, you could probably see everyone in the Fort Chiswell community in one day by just hanging out at the Food Country grocery store,” he said jokingly.
Turpin’s high school graduating class consisted of just over 100 students, but they were still susceptible to the trappings of society in the rural community.
“We were basically a truck stop town, so, I saw a lot of drug activity growing up,” he said. “I knew a lot of people whose lives were influenced by drugs and overdoses, so I have seen that type of behavior adversely affect people I care about.”
Turpin quickly realized that he would have a hard time saving lives and helping others if he became a game warden as he had originally planned. So, after graduating from high school he enrolled at Wytheville Community College and earned his degree in police science with the help of his mentor Jim Harrington.
“I was in class studying at the same time the George Floyd incident and aftermath were happening,” he said. “It was incredibly important for me to live that in real time and have the opportunity to discuss it in class and evaluate the actions of law enforcement and the merits of reform.”
The Floyd situation only made Turpin want to be officer even more. He applied to work in Salem and was hired in May 2022.
“I wanted to get really good training and I knew Salem was the place for that,” he said. “I still consider myself to be in the learning process, but you learn quickly working nightshift.”
Turpin was on West 4th Street running radar shortly after midnight on December 23, 2023, when a 911 call came in regarding a male suspect who was lying in the roadway.
“I was the first one on the scene and found the man lying on his back and he was barely conscious and hardly breathing,” Turpin said. “I rubbed his sternum hoping to rouse him, but nothing happened, and he wasn’t budging.”
Turpin tried to engage the man in conversation, but instead heard a groaning sound and quickly determined the individual did not have a pulse.
“I just relied on my training and started doing CPR,” he said. “I got about two reps through and gave the man a couple of rescue breaths when I heard him come around and start breathing again. He regained his pulse, and the medics took over from there.”
Ironically, Turpin’s twin brother, Jacob, is a member of Salem Fire and EMS team, but the two never discussed the event until his life saving efforts came up at a family gathering.
“My dad and my brother and my sister, who is a nurse, have seen it all, so they weren’t nearly as impressed as my mom,” he said. “She was ecstatic that I had just saved someone’s life and won this award.”
While not as dramatic as a CPR resuscitation, Turpin lifesaving efforts to get DUI drivers off Salem’s roads and out of our neighborhoods are even more impressive.
“Getting drunk drivers off the road is a passion of mine,” he said “There is nothing personal against the folks, but in Salem it is zero tolerance. I have actually had drunk drivers look at me after being arrested and thank me for pulling them over before they hurt themselves or others.”
Turpin was honored at the end of last year in Richmond when he received the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) award for the most DUI arrests in the department for 2023.
“While still in the beginning stages of his career, Officer Turpin comes to work eager to learn and serve the community,” said Salem Police Deputy Chief, Derek Weeks. “We are very proud of Officer Turpin and his dedication to service.”
Turpin and his wife, who is also his high school sweetheart, live in Roanoke County. As Officer of the Year, he will be formally honored by the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce on March 15.
“My platoon mates and my supervisors have really shaped me, and they deserve as much credit as I do for this honor,” Turpin said. “We trust each other and at the end of the day we know we are going to do the right thing.”
