Texas DPS Honors Trooper for Saving a Man's Life

AUSTIN,TX-- The Texas Department of Public Safety handed out awards at the final Texas Public Safety Commission meeting last week.

The awards were given to Trooper Ryan Askew and The Texas Joint Crime Information Center.

"At every meeting of the Public Safety Commission, we take the time to honor the outstanding efforts of DPS employees and various divisions within the department as they work hard to serve and protect our state and fellow Texans," said Director McCraw. "It is a privilege to recognize the good work and selflessness of these outstanding men and women."

Trooper Ryan Askew, Texas Highway Patrol–The Woodlands, received a Director’s Citation. On July 13, 2018, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office broadcasted a priority call advising that a man was walking around a shopping center parking lot talking to himself and waving around a knife. As DPS personnel and Shenandoah Police arrived and initiated contact, they witnessed the man pressing the knife against his chest and leaning into a light pole, as if he was attempting to harm himself. Trooper Askew — who is certified in crisis intervention — arrived shortly after and made contact with the subject. Trooper Askew directed the subject’s attention away from harming himself and began building a rapport. He patiently and effectively negotiated with the man, successfully convincing him to release the knife. As a result of Trooper Askew’s actions, the subject was not harmed, and he was able to receive proper mental health evaluation and treatment.

The Texas Joint Crime Information Center recieved the National Fusion Center Associations' 2018 Best Collaborative Effort Award at their annual training event. NFCA's mission is to represent the interests of state and major urban area fusion centers, as well as associated interests of states, tribal nation and units of local government, in order to promote the development and sustainment of fusion centers. Fusion centers enhance public safety; encourage effective, efficient, ethical, lawful and professional intelligence and information sharing; and prevent and demonstrated exceptional collaborative efforts, which significantly contributed to the mission of a network center and/or improved the security posture of the jurisdiction or the nation.