Officer Puckett
Getting to know the people-person behind the badge
Story and photos by Addison Watson Being only one of two police officers who patrol Murray State’s campus on a bicycle, Shannon Puckett spends the majority of his day meeting new students, bringing smiles to people’s faces and occasionally issuing citations. Puckett has been a police officer at Murray State since October 2015. He hasn’t always worked in law enforcement, but his service has been the most memorable time of his life. “I am a people person,” Puckett said. “I love meeting new people and being out and about meeting students, especially freshmen and international students. Being a police officer at Murray State provides the perfect opportunity for me to thrive.” Puckett said sometimes he meets new freshmen who have arrived on campus for the first time, or new international students who are in a completely
different culture at Murray State, which can be overwhelming. “I look for opportunities to meet them and encourage them and welcome them here,” Puckett said. Puckett was born in Graves County, Kentucky, on Aug. 10, 1962. Growing up, Puckett’s family struggled to make ends meet. When he was in high school, Puckett made the hard decision, against his mother’s wishes, to drop out and find a job so he could contribute to his family. He found a local job with a major retailer and began walking to and from work daily. “We were poor as poor could be,” Puckett said. “I was trying to help my family survive, more or less.” Dropping out meant that he sacrificed his education, but Puckett promised his mother that he would obtain his GED. Shortly thereafter, he took some
