Beyond The Barrel Podcast

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world—and it’s happening far closer to home than most people realize. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Trent the man behind Anti-Predator Project, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works on the front lines of combating human trafficking, locating missing and abducted children, protecting victims a...

On this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Mike Sandilla—Nashville-based alternative rock artist and U.S. Army Green Beret veteran whose music is rooted in truth, resilience, and the experiences that never fully leave you. Influenced by the raw emotion of ‘90s grunge and alternative rock, Mike writes songs for people who’ve lived through life’s hardest moments. His music explores ident...

After more than 22 years with the Las Cruces Police Department, Adrian De La Garza has built a career defined by resilience, leadership, and service. Beginning his law enforcement journey in 2004, he currently serves as a Traffic Investigator, a role he has held since 2009, specializing in serious and fatal crash investigations. Beyond the badge, Adrian is an instructor in multiple disciplines, in...

Fan-favorite guest Anthony Shefferly is back on Beyond the Barrel for a conversation that every current and aspiring law enforcement officer needs to hear. In this episode, we dive into the disconnect between the recruiting videos many agencies produce and the realities of the profession. We discuss how unrealistic expectations can leave new officers mentally unprepared for the trauma, stress, and...

Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths—straight, no chaser. In this powerful episode, we sit down with men connected by service, sacrifice, and a mission bigger than themselves. Justin Jones, Founder and President of American Hero Hunt, accompanied by Travis Linder share how a simple idea in 2016—to give back to a few deserving veterans through hunting trips—grew into a nationwide nonprofit tha...

Most Cops Aren’t Ready to Go Hands-On — Steven Chin Explains Why Steven Chin has spent nearly three decades immersed in the world of combat, defensive tactics, firearms, and survival training—where failure can cost lives and preparation is everything. As the owner of Direct Action Training Inc., Steven provides specialized instruction in hand-to-hand combat, edged weapons, improvised tools, CQB fi...

Some cases never leave you. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Carlos Rodriguez — author of The Ugly Underneath and a former crimes-against-children detective sergeant who spent nearly three decades confronting some of the darkest realities imaginable. After 27 years with the Washington State Patrol, Carlos retired as a nationally recognized expert in child exploitation investi...

Most people in law enforcement training only see the instructor on stage. They don’t see the late-night emails, scheduling issues, travel logistics, contract negotiations, host agency communication, marketing, payment tracking, or the nonstop work happening behind the scenes. On this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Teresa, founder of BadgeOps, to discuss the side of the law enforcem...

Who’s Saving the Ones Who Serve?  In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Greg Grogan a law enforcement officer who’s lived the job on both coasts, from the streets of Northern California to the front lines in Louisiana. But Greg’s story doesn’t stop at policing. A United States Marine. A current member of the Coast Guard Reserves. A man who’s seen what this life can take and decide...

Beyond the badge… there’s a mission that never shuts off. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Deputy Chief Edward Jenkins has spent nearly 30 years in the fight—working his way from the Corrections Division to the front lines of homicide investigations in one of the toughest environments in the country. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Jenkins as he breaks down a career built i...

What does it actually take to talk someone off the edge… and make the right call when everything is on the line? In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Captain Khaliqa Wheatley, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, Crisis Negotiations Commander, and one of the most forward-thinking leaders in policing today, to break down the reality behind high-stakes decisions most people will neve...

What does the job really do to the men and women behind the badge? In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Joseph Gray—a 25+ year law enforcement veteran, critical incident responder, human trafficking investigator, and officer wellness advocate—to discuss the hidden trauma of police work and the mental health toll carried by first responders long after critical incidents end. Josep...

What happens when a life of service doesn’t stop at retirement—but evolves into something bigger? In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with a man who’s lived multiple lifetimes in one—Army veteran, K-9 deputy, entrepreneur, and mentor. From serving as an Infantryman to working in Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism, his military career spanned over two decades and four MOS roles, shaping...

In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Nick, a former officer from the Daly City Police Department who spent nine years policing the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area. Working in one of the most demanding environments in the country, Nick’s career was shaped by high-crime neighborhoods and a department culture that expected cops to work hard, stay proactive, and take bad people...

Who Tells the Victim’s Story? The Woman Helping Police Bring Justice to the Forgotten In this episode, we sit down with Ms. Guillen, a media producer, advocate, and law enforcement ally dedicated to solving violent crimes and keeping victims’ stories alive. In 2012, she launched Case Files: Chicago, a groundbreaking series designed to assist law enforcement in solving homicide cases and bringing j...

On this episode we sit down with Brandon Deckert, a Wyoming Highway Patrol Sergeant whose career has been built on the front lines of criminal interdiction and K-9 operations. Born and raised in northern Minnesota, he began his law enforcement career with the Wyoming Highway Patrol in 2007 at just 22 years old after earning a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology. In 2011, he was s...

Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths straight, no chaser. Garry Chapman was born into a name the country already knew. As the son of Duane Chapman, better known as “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” he grew up around criminal behavior, accountability, and national attention. Cameras, criticism, and pressure were nothing new. But legacy doesn’t have to mean imitation. Instead of chasing fugitives on tel...

This week, we go beneath the surface literally and philosophically. Commander William C. Spears is a submarine warfare officer in the United States Navy, a nuclear-trained officer, and the author of Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy. From enlisting in the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program straight out of Pineville, Louisiana, to graduating from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Mecha...

Are We Training for the Threat… or Ignoring the Real Problem? Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths—straight, no chaser. This episode dives into the life of Officer Daniel Herrera, a former elementary school teacher turned law enforcement officer who now stands on the front lines of school safety and crisis response. Herrera shares how his early years in education shaped his approach to polici...

When the End of Watch is called, Dirk makes sure the family is never forgotten. Nineteen years in law enforcement changes a man but for Dirk, it clarified his purpose. Husband. Father. Cop. Bourbon enthusiast. And founder of the End of Watch Legacy Fund, a mission born from loss, service, and an unwavering commitment to those who never made it home. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, Dirk share...

Two officer-involved shootings. First on scene to a home invasion at a cop’s house. Task force interdiction. And zero tolerance for bad Fourth Amendment policing. Sgt. Jake Bigelow is a 13-year law enforcement veteran with the Casper Police Department, a former multi-agency drug task force officer, and a legal instructor with Blue to Gold Law Enforcement Training. Before policing, he served in the...

BAM has interviewed everyone from addicts to authors, athletes to warriors but his most important mission isn’t behind a mic. It’s at home. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we go far beyond podcasting and into the culture war being fought over our kids, our schools, and our justice system. BAM explains why he pulled his children out of public school, how homeschooling creates independent thin...

Steve Gould has spent nearly two decades in law enforcement, but his career has taken a path few ever walk. From working the wild and unpredictable terrain of Cape Cod as a Natural Resources Officer, to pushing a cruiser on the street, to becoming a civilian background investigator for the LAPD, Steve has seen every side of the badge. In 2018, he launched the wildly popular Things Police See podca...

Truth isn’t always comfortable and it’s rarely safe. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, Kenny sits down with Adam and Tyler Hoover for a raw, unfiltered conversation about war, policing, trauma, and the cost of speaking out. Adam’s path took him from the U.S. Marine Corps into law enforcement, working everything from small-town policing to state-level interdiction units, building a career roote...

Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths straight, no chaser. In this episode, we sit down with David Hines, a former law enforcement officer whose career in a South Louisiana narcotics unit ended with a federal civil rights conviction and a prison sentence. What followed was the loss of his badge, his career, his identity and a reckoning that reshaped how he views leadership, ethics, and respons...