Instructors
Bryan Bishop was employed with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office over 20 years. Bryan
spent the majority of his career as a K-9 Handler, handling two dogs. Bryan was a Detective
assigned to the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force for 14 years of his career, where his team
focused on the apprehension of violent fugitives.
Early in his career, he became a certified Instructor for the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy
and continued to train with other instructors as much as he could. Bryan enjoys instructing and
sharing his experience with students.
Certification / Training
- Indiana Law Enforcement Academy
- Top Dog Police Academy
- Basic SWAT
- FBI SWAT
- Hostage Rescue-Steve Claggett
- High Risk Warrants-Safariland
- VCQB instructor-Centrifuge
- Alerrt Active Shooter instructor
- Active Shooter instructor-Steve Claggett
- High Risk Operations - US Marshals Special Operations Group
- Tactical Medic-VCSO
- Counter Ambush and Maneuvers - Jonas Polson
- Taser Instructor
- LEO Krav Maga Basic instructor- Morris Dynamics Martial Arts
- LEO Krav Maga instructor - KMAA
- Desert Snow Interdiction
- 420 Interdiction
- Less Lethal Applications
Dedrick Cosby is the founder and owner of Let Go & Lift and a fitness professional. He is a certified personal trainer/nutritionist through the International sports and science association. He has been in personal training since 2016.
Dedrick has trained a variety of age levels from 12 to 67 years of age including men and women. Dedrick is certified and has experience in using traditional strength, training equipment, resistance bands, medicine balls, bodyweight workouts, group class, high-intensity interval training, and more. He also has worked with high school and college athletes.
Dedrick really loves helping people reach their fitness goals and said, “…so many people have desires and go to work on their health and wellness but have no clue where to start, I want to be that person to educate and help clients get to where they desire.”
Dedrick is really skilled at listening to the client’s needs and walking them through the process step-by-step. Dedrick and his team have a customized fitness and nutrition app to help clients even when they go to the gym on their own. Let Go & Lift will cover every aspect to make a client feel comfortable whether they are beginners or have been doing it for a while.
Kenny Dutschke has been a law enforcement officer since 2003. He currently works in the EPD Crime Prevention Unit and has served as a member of the SWAT team since 2012 and currently a Team Leader as well as the training coordinator for the VIPER unit team. Kenny also works as an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy instructor with specialty training in Glock Armorer. He has trained in numerous tactical combat courses including TC3, Fulcrum Tactical Advanced Hostage Rescue x2, Redback One Offensive Stronghold Clearance, and Redback One Counter Ambush. Additionally, he completed training at both the Fulcrum Tactical Active Shooter Instructors School and at the National Tactical Officers Association.
Dan started his law enforcement career in 1994. At that time, he had trained hundreds of law enforcement officers in self-defense, close-quarters combat, and de-escalation solutions. He is the former owner and instructor of multiple martial arts schools in the Tri-State area with over 35-years of teaching experience. He left law enforcement for the private sector in 2006, going into financial management. A year later he had the opportunity to serve his country in field operations via the US State Department. He completed his training in Fredericksburg Virginia, then CRC at Fort Bliss in El Paso TX.
He was deployed to Ramadi Iraqi where he completed 100’s combat missions and was recognized by the Raider Brigade Combat Team for his contribution to the US Military. He later rose to the level of Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Ramadi Government Center. After returning to the US, he completed his MBA at Oakland City University and has course work towards his Doctoral Degree in Education Administration. He maintained his financial practice while receiving his Principal and Teaching licenses. Dan has served as an Adjunct Instructor at Oakland City University for nearly 12-years. He still teaches and trains close-quarters combat, grappling, and self-defense classes to empower individuals.
Montrel Johnson instructs CPR Training for LawMan Security & Consulting. Montrel served in the U.S. Army for eight years in the 76th Infantry, based through the Indiana National Guard. His combat tours include Afghanistan and Iraq. While in the military, Montrel was certified as an Army Instructor, a Combat Life Saver Instructor, and a Team Leader. Today, Montrel works for Posey County Emergency Medical Services. Previously, he was a supervisor at American Medical Response (AMR). From an early age, Montrel was drawn to a career as a first responder; even volunteering as a Health Occupation Intern at AMR while still a high school student at Evansville’s Signature School. An EMS since 2003, he is certified in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. He is also a nationally registered paramedic and currently a CPR instructor. Montrel holds certification in PALS, ACLS, and PHTLS, as well.
Michael Lehmkuhler has been a firearms instructor with LawMan since 2017. He’s been police officer since 1994. Since joining his current department in 2000, Michael has been involved with training fellow officers in many areas. He is an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certified instructor in Emergency Vehicle Operations and Firearms. In 2006, Officer Lehmkuhler became and is a current member of his department’s full time SWAT team. Officer Lehmkuhler also became an ILEA firearms Instructor and completed ILEA Sniper/Observer Course both in 2007. He instructs recruits at the recruit academy as well as officers on the road. Officer Lehmkuhler is a Glock Armorer and has been to numerous high-level courses in building clearing and weapons manipulations with both handgun and rifle. Their SWAT section also conducts active shooter training for all members of the department. Officer Lehmkuhler completed SIG Rifle School in 2013 and recently completed training at Norse Tactical in CQB techniques in 2016. “I look forward to passing on my knowledge how to handle a weapon and increase the skill to shoot it accurately.”
Ross been an officer with EPD for 16 years and is currently assigned to the K-9 Unit as a dual purpose K9 handler. He’s been a member of the EPD SWAT team since 2009. During his time with EPD he has been fortunate enough to attend many great training courses and held various certifications such as:
- Fulcrum Advanced hostage rescue
- Red back Offensive Stronghold Clearance and Counter Ambush
- Northern Red Hostage Rescue
- TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care)
- Combat Strength Training by Pat McNamara
- ILEA Certified Defensive Tactics Instructor
- S.P.E.A.R Tactics certified
- PTS Certified Defensive Tactics Instructor
- Collegiate wrestler/ Guns&Hoses and Hook N Shoot MMA veteran/ and
- Continues to train in both Go/No Gi BJJ
Taylor Merriss has been a member of the Evansville Police Department since 2015. She began diving deeper into firearms and shooting in 2018 when she completed a 44 hour NRA class to become a Law Enforcement Handgun/Shotgun Instructor. She is also trained in Hostage Negotiations and Crisis Intervention. In 2021 she completed a Glock Armorers course, completed an AR15/M16/M4/AR308 Armorers course and also participated in Lawman Security and Consulting’s Basic S.W.A.T. School. Taylor has been a member of “Team Guns” boxing in Guns & Hoses during the 2019 and 2021 events.
Ross Rafferty has worked with the Indiana State Police Department since 2012. He is a law enforcement firearms and tactics instructor and US ARMY Small Unit firearms and tactics instructor. Ross is an experienced large criminal case investigator, field training officer, and is qualified in ARMY Mountain Warfare. He is the Criminal Interdiction Team Leader and is trained in a number of law enforcement operations from ILEA SWAT to crime scene processing as well as US ARMY explosives and demolitions. Ross currently resides in Vanderburgh County and works as a District #35 Evansville Trooper. He is an alumnus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice with a minor in psychology.
Sergeant Jacob Taylor has worked for the Evansville Police Department since 2002. He has over 15 years of tactical knowledge and experience and is currently assigned to Violent Crimes (VIPER) / TFO for the United States Marshals Service. Sergeant Taylor holds instructor certifications in NRA Firearms, Shoot House, National Tactical Officers Association Active Shooter, Safariland-Def Tech Less Lethal, Centrifuge Patrol Tactics & Low light, and a LSU Active Shooter. He has advanced hostage rescue training, in addition to specialty training in Glock/AR15/H&K Armorer. Sgt. Taylor is one of nine officers in the United States to graduate all 3 modules of the National Tactical Officers Command College.
Sergeant Sam Smith instructs personal protection courses for LawMan Security & Consulting. He is a veteran of the Evansville Police Department and has trained police officers since 2006. He is certified by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy as a police instructor, having earned certifications in Pressure Points Control Tactics (PPCT), OCAT (pepper spray), use of force, handcuffing techniques, PPCT speed-cuffing, survival techniques and ground fighting, and Spontaneous Protection Enabling Action Response (SPEAR).
Additionally, Sergeant Smith has studied, instructed, and competed in the martial arts for most of his life, starting with folk-style wrestling in high school and moving on to Karate and Tae Kwon Do in college. As a police officer, he trained in Muay Thai kickboxing, submission wrestling, Pankratian, Combat Sambo and Russian Sport Sambo, Brazilian Ju-Jutsu, Kodokan Jujitsu, Judo, boxing, and the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). He earned black belts in Sambo, Jujitsu, and Judo. He has been honored in numerous competitions at the state and local level for his outstanding performance as a martial artist.
Sergeant Smith is a published writer and a former adjunct professor. He taught at the University of Southern Indiana for 15 years and at Indiana University as a graduate student. He is a likeable and outgoing martial arts instructor and a personal protection consultant. He has experience teaching kids, women, and the elderly, and his unique teaching style makes him an effective, professional instructor.
Scott has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for 18 years and hold a black under Romero “Jacaré” Cavalcanti (founder of 13 time world champion team Alliance). Scott continues to own and operate his own school in Henderson, KY they have over 120 students. Outside of BJJ, Scott worked as a bank executive for 30 years. Currently is a financial advisor and teaches economics at the University of Evansville. Scott holds a BS & MS from UE and two graduate school of banking degrees. Scott has been married for 26 years to his lovely wife Tobi, and they have two sons.
Julia is Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro with 12 years experience In jiu-jítsu. The last 4 dedicated to successfully create kids and women’s programs, where kids learn while having fun and female Jiu Jitsu practitioners are provided with the opportunity to learn and train in a friendly atmosphere, all while thriving within the sport. And now, she is excited to have this opportunity to start a women's team here at Lawman. Julia’s heart is for empowering other women, in life and in Jiu Jitsu to discover their inner and outer strength.
An Evansville native, Chris Paisley grew up here before joining the U.S Army in 2011 as a Fire Support Specialist. He had one deployment to Afghanistan from 2012-2013. Upon exiting the military and returning home, he discovered Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and fell in love with physical and mental challenges of BJJ. Chris has become an advocate to sharing its life changing skills with as many people as possible. He has been training for 8 years and has competed in several gi and no-gi tournaments. Earning his purple belt in 2022 Chris is excited to continue learning and sharing the art.