Meet Chris Hyser
I was born and raised in South Central Pennsylvania, with my hometown being Littlestown, PA. Growing up, my parents worked hard to provide for our family, with my father being a long-haul trucker and my mother working as a custodian and a school bus driver for the Littlestown School District. Money was often tight, but they did their best to support my two siblings and me.
After graduating from Littlestown High School in 1983, I pursued a career in the HVAC field by enrolling in a technical course at RETS tech center in Baltimore, MD. Excelling in my studies, I graduated at the top of my class and began my journey in HVAC service.
In 1985, I married my first wife, Nita, and together we raised two wonderful daughters in the Frederick area.
After establishing a successful career in management at an HVAC manufacturer in Frederick, MD, I made a life-changing decision to join the Maryland State Police in 1994. Starting my journey at the Westminster Barrack “G” for 15 months, I later transferred to the Frederick Barrack “B.”
One particular incident in August 1996 stands out in my career. I was involved in a high-speed chase of a strong-arm robbery suspect in the city of Frederick. During the pursuit, both the suspect's vehicle and my cruiser collided at approximately 110mph on RT 340 just south of Jefferson, MD. The impact caused both vehicles to roll over in the median. The suspect suffered critical injuries after being thrown from his vehicle, as he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I, too, sustained severe injuries and had to be extricated from my cruiser. It took me 7 months to recover from the damage to my face, jaw, and right wrist, after which I returned to active duty in the spring of 1997.
For my actions during this incident, I was honored with the Governor's Citation for Valor, the highest recognition bestowed upon a State Trooper. My dedication to service continued, and in February 1999, I encountered another challenging situation during a traffic stop on Rt 15 in front of Mt. Saint Mary's college. A drunk driver swerved and struck me, but despite being injured, I quickly responded and apprehended the suspect after a short pursuit. I was flown to Baltimore Shock Trauma for a second time, this time with only soft tissue damage.
Due to the cumulative injuries from both accidents, I was placed on light duty and eventually retired with honors from the Maryland State Police on 03/31/2000. In recognition of my service to the citizens of Maryland, I received another Governor's citation and a Maryland Senate Resolution for my dedication to the state.
After my tenure with the Maryland State Police, I ventured into contract investigation for the US Federal Government, specializing in background investigations. In 2005, the Department of Treasury offered me a unique opportunity to travel to Iraq and contribute to the training of 135k Iraqi Police Officers. Over the following years, I continued my missions in Iraq, serving in various roles such as Police Trainer, Police Mentor, Explosive detecting K-9 handler, and even dignitary protection.
During this time, my personal life also went through significant changes. In 2007, my first marriage with Nita ended due to the strain of our frequent separations, leading to our divorce in 2008. Subsequently, I relocated to Irvine, CA, and continued my work in Iraq while embracing new challenges and opportunities.
In 2008, I found love again and married Shehla, who had immigrated to the USA from Pakistan in 1990. With this new marriage, I took on the role of stepfather to her two wonderful children, in addition to my two daughters, who were growing into young adults. I had the privilege of serving on the J-9 Directorate PSD teams for a 1 Star USAF General and a 2 Star US Army General until 2011.
After that, my path led me to Afghanistan, where I worked with Academi and GIS, providing protection to the command staff for the J-3 Corp of Engineers. My service in Afghanistan continued until March 2014, after which I decided to return to civilian life, where I pursued my passion for investigation as a Special Investigator.
In 2017, I sought personal and spiritual growth, enrolling at Bayan Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, CA, where I earned my Master of Divinity degree, specializing in Chaplaincy, in 2020. Following this transformative experience, I decided to move back to Maryland and built a home in Frederick County, near Camp David.
