William Hladky

Miami Dade Police Department

A homicide detective, William Hladky recently retired from the Miami-Dade Department after more than 28 years. He has been in  Law Enforcement for more than 30 years.

Prior to being assigned to the Homicide Bureau, he was a Robbery Detective for ten years. Bill has been involved in two police shootings and a variety of other violent encounters. In 1983, he and his partner were designated Miami-Dade Police Department Officers of the Year for saving under sniper fire a woman being beaten by a mob during a riot. In 1997, he received the Gold Medal of Valor for exchanging gunfire with a robber. (The robber lost).

He has received numerous awards and commendations for his investigations from the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Bill is a certified police survival instructor. During 1984 and 1985, while on a leave of absence, he taught police tactics to U.S. military police officers in Germany. In addition to police officers, he has taught U.S. Air Marshals and FBI Special Agents. Bill is an adjunct instructor at ITT Technical Institute and a guest lecturer at Nova Southeastern University in the doctorate police psychology program.  He holds an internationally certified second-degree black belt in TaeKwonDo.

Bill holds a Master’s Degree of Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa. He is working towards a second master degree, in Criminal Justice, from Nova Southeastern University.

Charles E. Holt Jr.

Miami-Dade Police Department

Detective Holt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Florida and he served 28 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department, before his retirement.

During his career detective Holt worked uniform patrol and was assigned to Headquarters Auto Theft Unit as a detective. Detective Holt also worked street level narcotics as a plain-clothes detective.

Prior to retiring detective Holt was assigned to Crime Scene as the departments first full time Forensic Artist. It was Detective Holt’s responsibility to develop a working forensic art unit that could assist detectives from Miami-Dade Police as well as any local, state or federal agency.

Detective Holt has published several articles on forensic art as well as warriorship. He has lectured on forensic art, forensic entomology, forensic anthropology and warrior ship along with school shootings at the University of Miami, Miami-Dade College, Hillsborough Community College, East Tennessee State University, and civic groups across the Southeast. Detective Holt teaches a 40 forensic art course and he has trained several forensic artists as well as the entire forensic art unit for the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

During his career Detective Holt received two silver medals of valor, a purple heart, distinguished service awards along with numerous commendations.

Detective Holt has extensive training in Interview and Interrogation techniques and completed the FBI Forensic Art Course at Quantico Virginia.

Detective Holt has been involved in several deadly force encounters. Detective Holt was stabbed during an edged weapon attack while trying to subdue a violent mentally ill subject. These first hand experiences as well as his knowledge of the history of warriorship as it relates to modern day policing bring a unique perspective to the class.

Laura Russell

Miami Dade Police Department

Detective Russell obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 1982 at the age of 19. She then joined the Miami-Dade Police Department and served as a patrol officer, Narcotics Jumpout detective, and a General Investigation Detective. She spent the final 16 years of her career as a Robbery Detective.

Prior to retirement Laura was injured 23 times, including two gunshot wounds. She was a recipient of the Purple Heart, Silver Medal of Valor, Bronze Medal of Honor, and Exceptional Service Awards and was a finalist for Officer of the Year after a confrontation with two armed subjects.

Additionally, she received 69 miscellaneous commendations. As a result of a police involved shooting in 1985, she has since been called upon by both her department and others to lecture during training courses for supervisors, Internal Affairs, and homicide investigators to provide them with first hand information regarding an officer’s viewpoint in Officer-involved shooting incidents.

She was involved in several additional incidents throughout her career which she was later called upon to include in her lectures. Her insight and perspective have given her the ability to help others understand and prepare for traumatic incidents related to their law enforcement duties.