Bartlesville Police Department Sgt. Nathan Mellen has been selected 2016 Officer of the Year by the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 117.
Mellen was recognized during a reception held Friday in his honor, where he also received the Police Department’s Life Saving Award for rendering CPR to a man suffering an apparent heart attack while shopping at a local home supply store last June. Mellen, who was off-duty at the time, saved the man’s life with his selfless actions, Capt. Jay Hastings told the audience on Friday.
Mellen has dedicated the majority of his adult life to serving the public. The former firefighter-EMT turned police officer began his extensive career in public service by joining the Caney (Kan.) Volunteer Fire Department in 1997, a few years after graduating from Caney High School.
In less than a year, Mellen had earned his EMT certification and began working as a part- time police officer for the Caney Police Department. He was later promoted to a full-time position, serving from 2000 to 2002, when he took a position with the Montgomery County (Kan.) Sheriff’s Department as a deputy.
In 2006, Mellen and his wife, Regina Mellen, moved to Bartlesville, where he began a two-year stint as a Bartlesville firefighter before making the switch back to law enforcement in 2008, when he signed up as an officer with the Bartlesville Police Department.
Mellen was promoted to the Criminal Investigation Division in 2012, and completed his bachelor of science degree in Criminal Justice from Bartlesville Wesleyan University in 2015. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant earlier this year. He currently serves on the “Baker” shift, or the day shift, in the Patrol Division and is an assistant team leader on the Special Operations Team.
“Sergeant Nathan Mellen is a dedicated public servant who serves the citizens of Bartlesville with care and compassion,” said Hastings. “He is usually one
of the first employees to volunteer for extra work assignments above and beyond his normal duties. Nathan is truly committed to serving our community any way he can.”
Mellen and his wife have three daughters, Madeline, Catherine and Gwendolynn.
Photos
Top left: Mellen attended a reception Friday with his wife, Regina, and daughters Madeline, Catherine and Gwendolynn.
Bottom right: City Manager Ed Gordon presented Mellen with a certificate of appreciation during the reception, held at the Bartlesville Community Center.