TAZEWELL COUNTY, Va. – After 21 years in law enforcement and the last 14 at the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, Major Harold Heatley is retiring at the end of the year.
Heatley turned to law enforcement after 20 years in the navy.
“Thank you to everybody. The citizens of Tazewell County and honestly the citizens of Mercer County and my time at WVVA. It’s been an amazing ride. I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life,” said Heatley.
Heatley says he’s learned a lot from the Tazewell community over the years but says being in law enforcement was never his plan.
“I never envisioned myself in law enforcement. I did envision myself in the military and retiring from that. When we moved out here in 2004 I kind of had that in mind that I was just going to retire,” said Heatley.
Heatley says he had plans to work on the railroad before being offered a part time job at the Tazewell Police Department by current sheriff and then chief, Brian Hieatt.
“It was pretty incredible. I never worked in civilian law enforcement. I did law enforcement when I was in the military but the difference between civilian law enforcement and military law enforcement is night an day,” said Heatley.
Heatley has served in many roles at the sheriff’s office over the years including narcotics, mentoring and helping to track down fugitives on WVVA’s APB.
Major Heatley is being succeed by former captain and now major, Jonathan Hankins.
“I just hope that I can have maybe just a small impact that he’s had on the people’s lives and those here at the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office. It’s just humbling to have an opportunity to follow in his footsteps,” said Hankins.
Sheriff Brian Hieatt says Heatley will be deeply missed at the sheriff’s office but believes Hankins will do a fine job replacing him.
“Major Hankins has a great background in law enforcement. A graduate of the FBI national academy, well educated. He just has everything that it takes and the work that he’s done here has been so great and impressive,” said Hieatt.
A new award at the sheriff’s office has been named in Heatley’s honor and will recognize an officer that exemplifies true leadership at the sheriff’s office.
Heatley says he loves to cook and has aspirations of going to culinary school after retirement but insists he has no plans to open a restaurant or operate a food truck.
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