John Marshall’s life is ironic. A known troublemaker and class
clown during his school days, this
”
bad boy
”
has decided he wants to be an officer of the law.
John Marshall’s life is ironic. A known troublemaker and class clown during his school days, this “bad boy” has decided he wants to be an officer of the law.
“Being a cop is so exciting,” he said. “The adrenaline rush, never knowing what you’re going to pull up to on a call. I think it’s such a great profession.”
Seven years ago, at the rambunctious age of 16 and on his second week of having a driver’s license in his pocket, Marshall got a taste of what it’s like to be on a high speed pursuit. As a lieutenant Explorer for San Benito County Sheriff’s Department, Marshall was at an event at Laguna Seca. When one of the supervising officers became ill, he was asked to drive the patrol car home.
“I was 16 and handed the keys to a cop car,” Marshall said. “That is like every kid’s dream.”
After speeding along Highway 101, nearing speeds of 90 to 100 mph, Marshall returned to Hollister with a memory he’ll never forget. After a few more reprimands and graduating high school, his immaturity began to wear off, and his priorities shifted.
“I was just a young punk,” he said. “When I started getting older, my views changed. You wake up on your 18th birthday and things have changed, and then again on your 19th and 20th. Every year I started to settle down a bit more and realize my priorities.”
After a few years of college, Marshall realized sitting in a classroom and spending hours studying wasn’t his style.
“I don’t have the attention span to sit and study for hours about something that doesn’t directly affect what I’m going to do with my life,” he said.
In 2003, Marshall graduated from the South Bay Regional Training Consortion Fire Academy. The hands on training gave him a better understanding of how hard fire fighters work, he said.
“I think I gained a better appreciation for what fire fighters do and all the things they have to know,” he said.
All grown up and making serious career choices, Marshall has grown out of his class clown persona, but this soon to be professional still enjoys living life on the wild side.
“I love riding my dirt bike out at Hollister Hills,” he said. “I try to go as much as I can.”
