Five Bossier Sheriff’s Deputies Receive Star of Valor

Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington has recognized five of his deputies for their acts of heroism.

Deputy Erin Tindall, an 8-year veteran of the sheriff's office, was the first on the scene when a 9-month-old child was found unresponsive at a North Bossier Parish home on March 22, 2016. She recognized the child's distress, discoloration and unconsciousness were caused by an obstructed airway. She performed the Heimlich maneuver to remove the obstruction and saved the child's life.

Lt. David Reynolds and Deputies Jay Williams and Darryl Ware, Jr., risked their lives on March 9, 2016, to rescue an elderly man trapped inside his residence in a Haughton neighborhood. That night, the Bossier area got a large amount of rainfall, and the water rose quickly. Deputy Ware found the resident, Lt. Reynolds held the boat, and Deputy Williams was able to pry the door open for the group to float the homeowner out of the house on his recliner. Ware has been with the department five years, Reynolds for nine, and Williams for 12.

Sgt. Daniel Wolff, an 8-year department veteran, was heading to work at the Medium Security Facility on March 9, 2016, and decided to take Hwy. 3 as an alternate route because of flooding after Bossier Parish was hit with 15-19 inches of rain. Sgt. Wolff came upon a motorist who was stranded on top of his vehicle. He got a rope from his vehicle and had the resident tie it around himself, then pulled him to safety. Shortly after that, the man's vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.

"This is a testament to the kind of deputies we have working for us here at the Bossier Sheriff’s Office," said Sheriff Whittington in a news release. "These deputies didn’t hesitate to jump into action and save lives. This is what these men and women train for, and the public places their trust in us to serve and protect them, and to save lives, and that’s what these deputies have done."

Each deputy has received the Star of Valor, the highest award given by the Bossier Sheriff's Office. They've each received a ribbon bar, medal and plaque for their outstanding bravery while saving the lives of Bossier Parish residents.

Our congratulations and appreciation go out to each one of these deputies.