FBI Special Agent (Ret.) Patricia Thompson is a former firefighter/EMT, and has been a law enforcement officer for 30 years. Prior to her employment with the FBI, Patty was a police officer and State Trooper in Ohio. She holds a BA in Political Science from Wright State University, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University.
As an FBI Special Agent for the past 23 years, Patty has been assigned to the Miami and Los Angeles Field Division’s working fugitives/violent crimes, gangs and public corruption. She is an FBI instructor, certified to teach firearms, firearms instructors, police sniper, defensive tactics, arrest tactics, chemical weapons, ballistic shield and physical fitness. As Adjunct Faculty at the FBI Academy, she also taught Instructor Development and Leadership Development. Patty was the first female member of the Miami Division SWAT Team and the first female in the history of the FBI to be trained and certified as a SWAT sniper.
Patty is a recipient of the Director’s Award for Outstanding Contributions in Law Enforcement from the Attorney General for her investigative work, as well as several awards from the United States Attorney’s Office for successful criminal prosecutions in both Florida and California. Throughout her career, Patty has provided training to FBI Agents as well as state and local law enforcement officers throughout the U.S. and Europe. Patty is a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, and a graduate of the Force Science Institute. She is currently Adjunct Faculty for the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center and the developer of Building Warrior Women: Leadership Tactics.