Deputy Rusty Breland, a seven-year veteran of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, was recognized by the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce for life-saving actions taken by him at an automobile accident earlier this year. He received the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy of the Year Award at their annual banquet Tuesday evening.
On March 11, 2022, while on patrol in western Ouachita Parish, Deputy Breland observed a two-vehicle crash on T. John Road. He radioed dispatch and stopped to investigate. One of the vehicles caught fire immediately upon impact. Deputy Breland could see the lone occupant of the vehicle, the driver, was injured and trapped inside the vehicle. Deputy Breland reacted quickly, removed the injured occupant from her vehicle to a safe distance away from her burning vehicle. The vehicle continued to burn, heavily damaging the engine and passenger area until the fire was extinguished by the Ouachita Parish Fire Department. The driver was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. Deputy Breland visited her the following day to check on her and she became emotional, saying she would not be alive that day if it had not been for him rescuing her.
“Due to his quick thinking and reacting, with total disregard for his own safety, there is no doubt the actions taken by Deputy Breland were life-saving”-Sheriff Jay Russell.
Deputy Breland is currently assigned the Patrol Division and has received several letters of commendation during his career. Prior to joining OPSO, he served in the U. S. Army.
