“It’s an honor to gather on such an important moment and the lives of three individuals are about to take the oath of office. That carries a great responsibility, deep meaning and a lifelong commitment to service,” Clark said. “We get to swear in three new deputies who have chosen professions that’s not simply a job, but a calling.”
The ceremony was not only about the new deputies, but also their families and friends that will support them through their journey and share in their sacrifices, Clark said.
“Today marks the beginning of a new career field filled with challenges, growth and opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. Wear your badges with humility, serve with integrity and remember that every action you take reflects not only on you, but this office and the community that we represent,” he said.
New officers
Eubanks, son of Major Chad Eubanks, was born and raised in Springfield. He graduated from Northwestern High School, earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Wilmington College, and completed the Clark State Police Academy in December 2025 with support of the Matthew Yates Memorial Scholarship.
Hadley brings skills in community policing, public safety and crisis response. He graduated from Sinclair Community College, and has served with Jackson Twp. Police, the Village of Tremont Police, Donnelsville Police and Dayton Children’s Medical Center.
Schaefer, a lifelong resident of Clark County, is the son of Air Force Brigadier Steve and Tina Shafer and is following his parents footsteps of uniformed service. He is a Greenon High School graduate, holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Clark State College, where he complete the police academy, then spent three years as a patrolman in the Village of Anna Police Department.
New K-9
Clark also swore in and announced the first of “hopefully several expansions” to the K-9 program with EOD K9 Pyro, a two-year old Belgian Malinois who was the result of a “very generous” donation from Southern Ohio Police K-9.
Pyro and his handler, Deputy Brandon Baldwin, began building their partnership and bonding over the past two weeks and will soon begin six weeks of training together.
“Pyro and his handler will play a critical role in enhancing public safety throughout Clark County by helping detect explosive threats, locate missing persons, searching for evidence, and supporting our regional partners when specialized capabilities are needed,” Clark said.
Baldwin, a lifelong Clark County resident, is a 2014 graduate of Greenon High School and a graduate of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy at the Greene County Career Center.
He served as a police officer for the Villages of South Charleston and Enon before joining the CCSO in February of 2017, where he was assigned to the jail division and became a field training officer. In March 2019, he began his current assignment in the uniform patrol division for Mad River Twp.
Clark thanked Southern Ohio Police K-9 for their generous donation of Pyro, and added this was “just the beginning” as the sheriff’s office has plans to continue expanding the K-9 program.
“These highly trained teams are a valuable part of modern law enforcement, assisting everything from suspect apprehension to detection operations and specialized missions,” he said. “(This) will further our strength and ability to protect and serve this community.”
The CCSO has 113 sworn deputies, including the three new ones, and 43 corrections officers, as well as one dual purpose narcotics K-9 and the new EOD K-9, according to Clark.
About the Author
