Biography
In 1997 Mark W. McDonald began his Law Enforcement Career first; by being accepted to the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy through the Pre-Service Program. While attending the Academy, he accepted a position as a Peace Officer for the town of Moorcroft Wyoming located in the northeast part of Wyoming. Although his employment with Moorcroft was short, he gained quick experience interacting with and developing people. He was one of 4 Patrol Officers that carried out duties in the area primarily working alone. While working for the town, he was also a Reserve Deputy for the Crook County Sheriff’s Department. In the fall of 1998, he was hired by the Green River Police Department in SW Wyoming and also worked as a Reserve Deputy for the Sweetwater Co. Sheriff’s Office. Within the second year of being hired, Mark became certified as a firearms instructor and was accepted to the Special Response Team (SRT). While gaining experience as a trainer and learning special operations he focused his advanced training on instructing and firearms combat tactics. In 2002 he accepted a position in the Detective Division as a Juvenille Crims Investigator. This experience enabled him to work directly with the schools and the juvenile justice system. He was promoted to Patrol Corporal Position in 2002 learning supervisory skills. Shortly after that in 2003, he was promoted to the rank of Patrol Sargeant. He continued as a shift supervisor and Trainer throughout the rest of his career. He retired in 2018 with honors.
He trained with worldwide instructors in Military Special Operations, British SAS, African Tactical Tracking, and Counter Terrorism to name a few. By using the knowledge gained, he was the primary instructor for the SRT and Training Coordinator for the entire Department. He met with agencies in the state of Colorado after the Columbine School shooting to develop an Officer Response plan for active shooters. He brought the knowledge back and developed training for not only his Officers but for other agencies, the community, businesses, and ultimately the schools.
He and his wife now live on a small farm outside the city of Riverton and chase his passions. He collects a wide range of hobbies including art, fabrication, and the outdoors. He is back home in Fremont County where he was born and raised.
