CHARLESTON, W.Va. –U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia Michael Baylous reflected Thursday afternoon on his career in law enforcement.
Baylous announced Wednesday that he will officially retire Sunday, Feb. 8, after eight years in the position.
He was nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term in 2018 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate that February.
Prior to becoming U.S. Marshal, Baylous served with the West Virginia State Police in several roles, including trooper, field trooper, investigator with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, public information officer and troop logistical officer. He retired from the agency to take the marshal position.
He said he is grateful for the opportunity to serve in the role for so many years.
“The eight years I’ve been here, I’ve enjoyed immensely,” Baylous said on MetroNews Midday.
During his time as U.S. Marshal, he helped lead operations that resulted in hundreds of felony arrests, the recovery of missing children, and the capture of U.S. Marshals Service Top 15 Most Wanted fugitive Charles Ray Blevens in 2015.
However, when discussing his accomplishments, Baylous shared a story about a woman who approached him in a Kroger parking lot to thank him for the way he had treated her. He said he had arrested her for substance abuse, and she had lost her professional license as a result.
“She wanted to thank me because of the dignity and the respectful way I treated her through her process that she ended up being inspired by that and she got her life back on track, was able to get her license back, and she was doing fantastic,” he said.
Baylous said he shares that story with other law enforcement officers to remind them that they are making a difference, even if they don’t always see it.
He added that if someone is thinking about going into law enforcement, it has to be for the right reasons.
“Go into it for the right reason, the reason I’ve been involved in it is to work with others to make communities safer, its been about that, it’s not been about Michael Baylous, it’s not been about feeding my ego, it’s been about accomplishing the mission together and making communities throughout West Virginia safer,” Baylous said.