Gregory Sampson
Founder & Lead Instructor
Gregory Sampson is the founder and lead instructor of Paladin Training Services LLC, bringing over two decades of active law enforcement service, specialized unit leadership, and professional training experience to every course he delivers.
A 1st Sergeant with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Gregory has served in patrol, specialized units, first-line supervision, and command throughout his career. He has served as Assistant Commander of the Training Unit, where he oversaw entry-level, continuing education, recruitment and selection, and the Firearms Unit.
Gregory is the Commander of the Crisis Negotiation Team — a role he has held since 2020 — and has attended the FBI Annual Hostage Negotiation Seminar consecutively for over a decade. This practitioner-level expertise in high-stakes communication directly informs his de-escalation and conflict resolution curriculum.
Before his law enforcement career, Gregory served as a United States Marine Corps Corporal, completing both infantry school and the prestigious Marine Security Guard (MSG) School — the program that trains Marines to protect U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions around the world. He was assigned to a MCSF Company and deployed overseas, serving in environments where the threat of terrorism was not hypothetical but ever-present.
During his service, Gregory trained Marine and Navy personnel in marksmanship, physical security, and anti-terrorism measures — his first experience as an instructor, and one that shaped his approach to training ever since. The Corps instilled in him a belief that preparation is not optional, that standards exist for a reason, and that the quality of instruction directly determines whether someone is ready when it matters most. That belief is the foundation on which Paladin Training Services was built.
Gregory is an ASP Instructor Trainer, a Force Science Realistic De-Escalation Instructor, a certified CRASE and CRCC Instructor through Texas A&M/ALERRT and Texas State University, and holds instructor certifications through the U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, FBI, Axon, SABRE, and the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions, among others.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies (Summa Cum Laude) from Liberty University and is completing a Master of Science in Transformational Leadership at the University of Maryland — reflecting his commitment to not only practicing excellence, but understanding and teaching it at the highest level.
Paladin Training Services was founded on four core values: Professionalism, Integrity, Excellence, and Dedication. Every course, every consultation, and every interaction reflects those principles.