(Paulding County, GA) In June of 2022, the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) developed a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) training program for law enforcement officers across the state. This program was developed to help de-escalate use of force situations and ensure the safety of law enforcement officers as well as citizens.
In the fall of 2023, Sergeant Mike Ellison of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division helped implement and develop a BJJ training program for the Deputies and Jailers of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. Sergeant Ellison, who is a black belt in BJJ and a POST-certified BJJ Instructor, began training Deputies and Jailers at the Sheriff’s Office last year.
Through Sergeant Ellison’s training and direction, we are proud to announce that we have several Deputies who received their BJJ Officer Certification through POST. These are individuals who have trained for over 100 hours and shown proficiency in an array of skills and challenges. We are proud of the individuals listed below who obtained their BJJ Officer certification through POST.

A couple of weeks ago, Sergeant Ellison was recognized by his peers when he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for the implementation and creation of the BJJ program for the Sheriff’s Office. This program has already proven to be helpful in ensuring that our Deputies and Jailers are well-trained to handle any use of force situation with a minimal amount of force. Congratulations to Sergeant Ellison and all of the aforementioned deputies for your achievement. We appreciate your dedication to the Sheriff’s Office and the BJJ community.

-Lieutenant Kevin Morgan -Sergeant Tyler Brown -Corporal Jacob Martin -Deputy Trevor Blacksmith