Deputy commended for conflict resolution

Special to the News-Times

It’s never a routine patrol for our local law enforcement professionals, and San Jacinto County is no different. 

Law enforcement officers assaulted and killed in the line of duty have increased over 51 percent over the previous year according to FBI released statistics.

These statistics were on the mind of Sgt. Nathan Deweese of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office when he was responding to a backup call of one of his patrol deputies. 

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Once Deweese arrived, he quickly realized this was no ordinary assist call; when he arrived, he was confronted with an individual wielding a sword threatening to take the life a family member and a friend of the family member and then himself. 

Deweese’s presence of mind and training quickly allowed him to gain control of this apparently distressed individual without the need to employ measures that could have included a use of deadly force. 

Deweese was able to calmly and with compassion talk this individual down from his extremely heightened stress level while disarming him and eliminating the threat. Deweese then decided to transfer this individual to a nearby hospital for a proper psychiatric evaluation without the need for an arrest. 

Sheriff Greg Capers said Sgt. Deweese’s compassion, presence of mind and his ability to gain and maintain control is one of the reasons he presented him with the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office Commendation Award.

“It’s a good day for our community and law enforcement when a potentially deadly scenario of innocent individuals can be averted without the use of deadly force against the perpetrator by our law enforcement professionals,” Capers said.