Four Meridian police officers earn rank of Lieutenant

Published 11:14 am Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Meridian Police Department leadership and city officials congratulated four city police officers as they were promoted to the rank of lieutenant within the department.

James Lagoy, Michael Hemrick, Thomas Moody and Tyquanderius McKenzie were pinned during a brief ceremony Wednesday morning.

Police Chief Malachi Sanders said each of the four officers did well on the merit-based testing needed to reach the lieutenant rank, as well as an interview. The promotions show the officers’ abilities and the support they have from their families, he said.

Police Chief Malachi Sanders swaps insignia on Lt. James Lagoy’s collar to represent his new rank of lieutenant during a promotion ceremony Wednesday at Meridian Police Department. Photo by Thomas Howard

“So right now I thank the family, because without the family there’s no way they could have done what they did, not just on the merit-based exam but the overall life experience as a police officer,” he said.

Sanders said his vision when taking the top spot as Police Chief in July was to both improve public safety and the quality of life for Meridian residents, as well as build a culture of professionalism and leadership within the department. Wednesday’s promotions, he said, are part of that effort and the momentum the city has been able to achieve over the past six months.

“And this is just the second phase of it,” he said. “And we’ll have our master sergeant promotion in a few weeks also, but these guys, these gentlemen, these professionals, they did what it took doing an outstanding job on the merit promotion test, as well as the interview process, and they’ll be getting promoted today,” he said.

Mayor Percy Bland said promoting the four officers isn’t something the city approaches lightly. Each man works to protect the city while often putting themselves in harm’s way, he said.

“We all know what they do every day to protect this city, and so from the city of Meridian we just want to thank each and every one of you for coming here,” he said.

There is no city without a safe community, Bland said, and he wants to thank the families for not only supporting their loved ones on the police force but for making sacrifices often demanded of families of first responders.

“I appreciate you guys supporting them, and it’s going to continue to be supportive because as you go up in leadership, you’ve got to deal sometimes with more issues and more problems,” he said. “But that’s part of it. I know that Chief and his team have trained and developed them, and they’re ready to lead accordingly.”

Lt. James Lagoy said it is an honor to be recognized both for himself and for the police department. The department is a team, he said, and he wouldn’t have reached his new rank without the support of others on the force.

“I’m incredibly humbled and deeply grateful to accept the promotion to police lieutenant. It’s just not a responsibility I take lightly. It’s an honor that represents all of us in the department,” he said.