How some folks find their way to East Tennessee can foster fascinating conversation. Case in point is Aaron William Bialek. Blue Bell Ice Cream brought him our way in July 2014 as operations manager when it opened its new distribution center in Lenoir City. And he has no plans to leave what many call “East Paradise.”

THP Trooper Aaron Bialek

He did, however, leave his Blue Bell career in 2018 and two of our law enforcement agencies are beneficiaries of that decision.

“There was a big part of me that felt like I was meant for something more in my life. I was praying a lot and kept getting signs from God,” he recalls. “I had a jujitsu buddy from class who sorta kept helping point me in this direction. It was a lot of praying back then. I thought about being a firefighter to serve my community, but no one was hiring so I was led to law enforcement.”

In 2017 during his final year with Blue Bell, he applied for a part-time job with the Lenoir City Police Dept. (LCPD) and worked both jobs. He was 25. It was mostly a support position since he was not a certified officer – yet. “I fell in love with it from the git-go,” Bialek says. “I owe a lot to Chief White (LCPD Chief Don White). He started me off and having never been in law enforcement he took a big chance on me and I’ll forever appreciate him.”

In 2018 he left the ice cream business for good for a full-time patrol slot at LCPD and in March 2019 graduated from the 12-week Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville with his POST certification. Chief White promoted him to sergeant in December 2022 on the midnight shift.

While working in Lenoir City, he kept crossing paths with a fellow cop – Sgt. Christian Smith of the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP). “He’d stop by and we’d talk and we’d work some of the same calls in and around Lenoir City and see each other. I started asking him questions about the THP. I thought it’d be cool to wear one of their hats to work. That hat screams ‘professional.’ I talked myself into checking out the THP and liked what I found, but it was a tough decision for me because I loved Lenoir City PD and Chief White.”

He left LCPD with the memory of his worst day at work. “I had an FTO with me (he was field training a new hire) and we took a call to a home with an unwanted guest. When we arrived, a man was on the front porch with a gun. His girlfriend was inside. We tried talking to him. A lot. Tried to talk him down, to put the pistol down. Then he snapped and committed suicide. It was really hard to watch and see. The chaplains got with us and helped us through it all.”

Hired in 2023 by the THP, today he is one of 19 troopers in Troop C with headquarters in Rockwood led by Lt. Angie Jeffers. Bialek’s primary patrol assignment is Loudon County, but he also helps patrol both Roane and Morgan counties. In December 2023 he was part of the “Lateral THP Academy” class, graduating in February 2024.

Bialek, 33, is a native of Kansas City, Kansas, where his first job out of Bishop Miege High School was with Blue Bell. He also left high school with the “love of my life” – Sarah. They have two children now, 6 and 3, and the family is part of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Lenoir City. He was a high school wrestler who made it to the Kansas state championships twice and earned his only nickname – to date – “Cauliflower Ear” after the one lasting physical scar of wrestling. He calls it “a badge of honor.”

Here is a smattering of what he deals with and sees from under that THP campaign hat: Serious calls dealing with injured people or children killed in accidents (“Worst part of the job” he says); child abuse and domestic abuse; people who die or those critically injured in accidents; motorist assists; traffic control; and notifying families about someone in the family who has died.

He spends a lot of time patrolling and working I-75 and I-40. “It seems like every other interstate accident we have involves trucks. It’s crazy. The only thing about these wrecks I enjoy is investigating what happened and why and putting the puzzle pieces together.”

Bialek also is a member of THP’s Dist. 1 Strike Team, a specialized, quick-response group trained to provide critical resources and stabilizing services during various emergency situations and disasters – like Hurricane Helene, the Gatlinburg fires, search and rescues, tornadoes and security assignments. He’s a young trooper but is already an FTO, considered a critical assignment at THP.

Lt. Jeffers, his Troop C commander, holds nothing back when asked about Trooper Bialek. “He’s not been with us for long, but his impact has been great. He’s brought a lot to our troop, in terms of work and his great personality. Aaron is very accepting and endearing to his co-workers, especially our new ones. He is a supervisor’s dream – self-motivated, who prides himself on knowing his job, so he requires minimal supervision.”

There’s more from Jeffers:

  • “The other members of our troop even tease him that he is my ‘favorite’. Aaron has impeccable judgment when it comes to enforcing laws, interacting with people and making informed decisions in each situation.”
  • “He is a rockstar as a Field Training Officer. He has this gift for making new troopers relax and learn. His personality and teaching style are perfect for a teaching environment.”
  • “He has a great sense of humor, which makes him beloved in the troop.”
  • “Aaron is an old soul. His attitude, love of God, love of the job and love for his family are well beyond his young years. I would love to have a hundred like Aaron, but we are blessed to have one.”

“Cauliflower Ear” could soon be his old nickname. How about “The Fav” as his new one?

Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. If you have someone you think we should consider featuring, please email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.

Our Town Hero is sponsored by Aubrey’s Restaurants.

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