The Centralia City Council looked on as a new member of the Centralia Police Department — Officer Tysen Cooper — was sworn in at the council’s Tuesday, July 23, meeting while also honoring retiring Centralia Police Commander Paul Evers at Centralia City Hall.
“I get the honor and privilege tonight to introduce our new police officer to you, but I also get the honor of recognizing somebody for an outstanding career who’s about to retire,” Interim Centralia Police Chief Andy Caldwell said.
Evers will officially retire from the department on Aug. 31. To celebrate Evers’ upcoming retirement, Caldwell presented him with a Centralia Police Department Award for Meritorious Service during Tuesday’s meeting.
“Oftentimes (awards) come with sacrifice, but it’s not the sacrifice we think of. The sacrifice that most officers think of is not the toll on our bodies or emotions, it’s the sacrifice of our families. It’s 1 a.m. call outs, working weekends, working holidays,” Caldwell said. “… One of the things that often gets overlooked is our families, so tonight I would really like to just acknowledge Commander Evers’ wife and the sacrifice she’s made through the years to support him.”
After honoring his wife, Barbara Evers, Caldwell spoke briefly about some of Evers’ own accomplishments during his career.
These included becoming the department’s training and patrol commander in 2021 where he began overseeing training and accountability standards and the remodeling of the department’s Mellen Street training facility.
“His accomplishments will be remembered for years to come,” Caldwell said.
“Commander Evers, I heard the news this morning and I have to say it kind of ruined my day,” Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnson said jokingly. “I have really appreciated your presence and your leadership in the department … Your contribution and what you’ve done with patrol has been wonderful. While I wish you all the best, I want you to know what a difference you made in Centralia, and that we will miss you greatly.”
Evers thanked the council for honoring him and said he had always felt accepted and welcomed in Centralia throughout his career.
“It has been a great honor to be here and I truly appreciate every moment I had,” Evers said.
After honoring Evers, Caldwell introduced and swore in Cooper. In keeping with the tradition established by former Centralia Police Chief Stacy Denham, he also had Cooper read the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Law Enforcement Code of Ethics.
Cooper had already been hired by the department at the end of 2023 but was waiting for a spot at Washington state’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Now that he has graduated, he was finally sworn in Tuesday.
A U.S. Army veteran, Cooper was born in Bellingham. He is a father of two. He attended South Puget Sound Community College and Evergreen State College, graduating in 2013.
“After finishing college, he worked in various state positions until 2018 when he was hired as a community corrections officer with the (Washington state) Department of Corrections (DOC),” Caldwell said.
Caldwell added while working for the DOC, Cooper realized he had the desire and ability to do more for his community. Cooper and his family moved to Centralia in 2019 and fell in love with the city, prompting him to eventually join the Centralia Police Department last year.
“Through the transition, his wife, Carissa, has been a constant support to him, and he’s told me that he couldn’t have done any of this without her,” Caldwell said.
After reading the IACP Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and being sworn in, Cooper had his badge pinned on by his wife and their children, Marlie and Jakob.
“We hold our officers to a very high standard … That said, we also support and value our police officers deeply. We appreciate the sacrifice, the risk and the dedication you take, and want you to know that as you’re entering into our community and our city, you have our support,” Smith Johnson said.
