Today the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce and the Early Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon with their annual recognition of local Law Enforcement officers and First Responders.  The luncheon was held at Victory Life Church and was catered by Fuzzy’s Tacos.

Texas Ranger Jason Shea was the featured speaker.  Shea has twenty-seven years of experience in law enforcement with the Texas Department of Public Safety, first in the Highway Patrol and now with the Texas Rangers, the premier law enforcement agency in Texas.  Shea began his remarks by complimenting law enforcement here.  “In Brown County, we are a team.  We cannot do what we do as Law Enforcement and First Responders if we don’t have the backing and support of the community.  Brown County is unique with that.  Your Law Enforcement does a very good job of patrol and investigations.  Every aspect of the Law Enforcement community does a good job here.  Brown County is in a unique position because everyone is doing everything they can to serve the community.”

Within the Texas Rangers, Shea serves in a unit that investigates cold cases, often using DNA and genealogy to solve the cases.  He told the story of how those techniques were used to solve two cold cases, a 2008 homicide in Grand Prairie, and a 2011 sexual assault in Fort Worth.  It took several years, but by gathering and analyzing DNA and genealogy data, they were able to solve both crimes, which were both committed by the same person.

Brownwood Chief of Police Ed Kading presented awards to two persons in his department.  In January of this year Patrolman Caden Goodman was dispatched to a case of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  The gunshot severed an artery in the victim’s leg.  Within one minute of arriving, Goodman applied a tourniquet to stop the loss of blood.  When EMS arrived, they said the tourniquet saved the man’s life.

In February of this year, Cadet Ariel Hutchins was attending training at the Central Texas Police Academy.  A fellow classmate suffered a medical emergency involving a seizure, and his breathing stopped.  Hutchins and other classmates immediately began first aid and performed chest compressions, which restored the man’s breathing and re-started his heart.

Both Goodman and Hutchins received the Life Saver Medal from Chief Kading.

From revenues generated by the luncheon, the Brownwood and Early Chambers presented a donation of $4,000, to be split evenly between the Brown County Sheriff’s Department, and the Police Departments in Brownwood, Early, and Bangs.

Sponsors for the Law Enforcement and First Responders luncheon are listed below.

Presenting Sponsor: Texas Bank

Hero Sponsors:  Ethos Pet Brands, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood, United Supermarkets, Citizens National Bank, Hometown Liquor, MC Bank, Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Mid-Tex Federal Credit Union, and Oncor

Supporting Sponsors:  AirEvac, Kohler, Aldersgate Enrichment Center, Mukewater Outfitters, Rite of Passage, AccelHealth, Smile Doctors Orthodontics, Brown County Christian School, Brownwood Music, Heartland Funeral Home, Atmos Energy, Andy’s Pest Troopers