Two Baker City Police officers were recognized for their work during the Baker City Council meeting Tuesday evening, May 13.

Police Chief Ty Duby announced that Wayne Chastain, who has worked for the department since 2001, has been promoted to lieutenant as of May 1.

Duby said the department previously had one lieutenant, but that position was changed several years ago to detective sergeant.

He recently went back to the previous set up, with one lieutenant and two sergeants.

Duby told councilors that Chastain started his law enforcement career in 1996, as a dispatcher in Malheur County. He later worked as a reserve deputy there before joining the Baker City Police in 2001.

Chastain also was deployed for two tours in Iraq, and one to Afghanistan, as a member of the National Guard.

Duby said Chastain has served as a field training officer and drug recognition expert for the Baker City Police. He was promoted from patrol officer to patrol sergeant in 2015, and also worked as a detective for about a year.

Duby said Chastain was an ideal candidate for the new lieutenant position.

“His experience is going to serve the department very well,” Duby said.

Chastain then introduced officer Mark Powell as the department’s officer of the year.

Powell “exemplified what it means to be a police officer in this community,” Chastain said. “Mark, you represent our department in a noble fashion.”

Chastain said Powell is a respected training officer for new patrol officers.

Powell led the department in 2024 in traffic citations issued, but he had no citizen complaints, Chastain said.

Councilor Loran Joseph noted with a chuckle that Powell had pulled off quite a feat by writing more tickets than any other officer without drawing a single complaint.

Chastain said Powell performed at the highest standards during an incident in January 2024 when he and another officer, Mason Powell (not related) shot and wounded a man who was a passenger in a car during a traffic stop and fired a pellet gun at Mark Powell, hitting the officer.

District Attorney Greg Baxter determined that both officers were justified in shooting the man, who survived.

Duby elicited laughter from councilors when he noted that, based on the officers’ body camera video from the incident, Mark Powell eschewed the language that might be expected in such a situation.

His notable comment, Duby said, was “Oh, fudge.”