AUSTIN – This past Friday, several Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) personnel were honored during the December Public Safety Commission meeting held at the new Legacy Hall at DPS Headquarters in Austin.
PSC Chairman Steven P. Mach, Nelda Luce Blair, Dan Hord, Larry Long and Steven Stodghill, along with DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin, presented two Purple Hearts, four Lifesaving Awards and one Unit Citation. One Director’s Award was also given to someone outside the department.
“Service and sacrifice are so often required in the field of law enforcement,” said DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin. “Perhaps no one embodies those than the people we recognize here today – as they have given so much in the service of this state, and I could not be prouder to be able to honor them with a small token of appreciation and thank them for their tremendous contributions.”
The following personnel were recognized:
Purple Heart:
The DPS Purple Heart recognizes the personal sacrifice and devotion to duty displayed by DPS officers who are seriously injured while performing their duties. Their courageous actions and personal sacrifice bring great credit and distinction to themselves, DPS and the law enforcement profession. Purple Heart awardees may have faced many surgeries and long, painful rehabilitations during their recoveries — and some of them defied the odds by returning to active duty.
Purple Heart:
On Nov. 7, 2024, Corporal Scott Keane (Big Lake) assisted the North Reagan County Volunteer Fire Department with extricating someone who was trapped in a vehicle after a crash. As Corporal Keane held the hydraulic lines of the jaws of life, enabling a firefighter to shear off the roof to rescue the trapped person, the front left side airbag unexpectedly deployed. That detonation caused the inflator tube to become a projectile, striking Keane in his right forearm. Corporal Keane was immediately treated at the scene for his incapacitating injury and then transported to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair separate breaks and several muscle tears.
In recognition of his great personal sacrifice and professional performance of law enforcement duties, during which he sustained serious bodily injuries, Corporal Scott Keane was awarded the Purple Heart.
Purple Heart:
On Sept. 27, 2024, Trooper Derrick Waters (Katy) was conducting a traffic stop in Harris County as part of the DWI Task Force aimed at reducing fatality crashes. Trooper Waters was outside his unit conducting an assessment on a possible DWI suspect when a vehicle traveling on the main lanes failed to follow the state’s Move Over, Slow Down law and veered off the roadway, striking Trooper Waters’ patrol unit, the violator’s vehicle and Trooper Waters himself. The impact of the crash caused Trooper Waters to sustain severe, life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a trauma center, where he was immediately admitted into the Intensive Care Unit, where he remained for several days before being transferred to a rehabilitation facility to begin an extensive recovery process. The driver continued driving but was later apprehended and charged.
In recognition of Trooper Waters’ great personal sacrifice and professional performance of law enforcement duties, during which he sustained serious bodily injuries, Trooper Derrick Waters was awarded the Purple Heart.
LIFESAVING AWARD:
In the early morning hours of Oct. 13, 2022, while on duty near Rocksprings, Texas, Trooper Justin Derr (Junction) received a BOLO alert for a vehicle suspected of human smuggling. Upon locating the vehicle, Trooper Derr attempted to initiate a traffic stop, which resulted in a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit lasted for more than 30 minutes until the suspect lost control on a curve, causing the vehicle to overturn upside down in a low water crossing in Kimble County. Without hesitation and at great personal risk, Trooper Derr entered the water and began rescue operations. The vehicle’s cab was submerged, trapping multiple occupants. Trooper Derr, joined by a US Border Patrol Agent and other responding officers, repeatedly dove beneath the surface to locate and free those trapped inside. For more than 25 minutes, Trooper Derr successfully rescued five individuals from the overturned vehicle and carried them to the bank. Four of the individuals survived the incident.
In recognition of his significant and decisive response to a life-threatening situation resulting in the saving of lives, Trooper Justin Derr was awarded the Lifesaving Award.
LIFESAVING AWARD:
On Sept. 6, 2025, while off duty and traveling with his family in Cedar Park, Lieutenant Craig Henry (Austin) encountered a crash involving an unresponsive driver who had suffered a medical emergency, causing the vehicle to strike a bridge pillar. The male driver appeared to have suffered a cardiac event. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Lieutenant Henry immediately called 911 and, with the assistance of other officers, removed the subject from the vehicle and initiated CPR. Lieutenant Henry continued life-saving measures until the Cedar Park Fire Department and Williamson County EMS personnel arrived and assumed care. The subject regained a pulse and was later reported to be in stable condition.
In recognition of his significant and decisive response to a life-threatening situation resulting in the saving of a life, Lieutenant Craig Henry was awarded the Lifesaving Award.
LIFESAVING AWARD:
On March 14, 2024, Troopers Eric Olvera (Texarkana) and John Newman were requested to assist in locating a semi-trailer at a business in Summer. Upon arrival, the Troopers were directed to the rear of the property, where they discovered a gunshot victim. The witness informed them that two employees had been involved in an altercation during which one of the individuals produced a firearm and shot the other in the leg. While Trooper Newman secured the suspect, weapon and scene, Trooper Olvera quickly began rendering aid to the gunshot victim, applying Quick Clot and an Israeli bandage to the wound, followed by a tourniquet, effectively stopping the bleeding. He continued medical care until the arrival of emergency medical services, ensuring the victim’s survival.
In recognition of his significant and decisive response to a life-threatening situation resulting in the saving of a life, Trooper Eric Olvera was awarded the Lifesaving Award.
LIFESAVING AWARD & DIRECTOR’S AWARD:
On May 12, 2025, Trooper Jesse Smith (McKinney) responded to an urgent call about a wrong-way driver traveling north in the south lanes of the Dallas North Tollway. The driver collided head-on with a passenger vehicle carrying five individuals, resulting in a violent crash that also involved a nearby truck tractor semi-trailer. When Trooper Smith arrived on the scene, both vehicles were severely damaged and beginning to catch fire. Without hesitation and at great personal risk, he approached the first vehicle and found a female passenger leaning out of the front window in visible distress. As he began rendering aid — Mr. Kevin Hughey, the driver of the semi-truck involved in the crash, called out from the opposite side of the vehicle, attempting to rescue another unconscious passenger.
Trooper Smith quickly joined Mr. Hughey, and together they pulled the seriously injured woman from the wreckage. Another passenger had already managed to escape on her own. Trooper Smith then returned to the front of the vehicle and rescued a second injured passenger through the window, moving her to safety as the fire intensified. Spotting the second vehicle fully engulfed in flames, Trooper Smith ran to it and broke out the driver’s window to free the pinned driver. Despite his efforts, the driver could not be removed without specialized equipment. Trooper Smith then returned to the first vehicle, now consumed by fire, and located the driver still trapped inside. He broke the window, unlocked the door, and successfully pulled the driver to safety.
In recognition of their significant and decisive response to a life-threatening situation resulting in the saving of lives, Trooper Jesse Smith was awarded the Lifesaving Award and Mr. Kevin Hughey was awarded the Director’s Award.
UNIT CITATION:
Over the past three years, the Arrest Control Tactics (ACT) Unit has demonstrated excellence through creating and delivering advanced training in control tactics, de-escalation strategies, intermediate weapons and use-of-force. Their work has directly improved officer safety, readiness, and professionalism statewide. The Unit’s significant role in Operation Lone Star highlights its adaptability and leadership. By providing over 32 hours of tactical and de-escalation training to the Texas Army National Guard, the ACT unit helped ensure mission success and enhanced collaboration between state and military partners. Their follow-up “Train-the-Trainer” course empowered more than 700 Guard members, reaffirming the Department’s dedication to operational excellence.
Beyond field operations, the ACT Unit expanded departmental outreach by hosting the first Women’s Self-Defense Course in partnership with the Governor’s Office. This innovative program honors the impact of women across Texas, providing skills and confidence in a supportive environment. The creation of the Thin Blue Line Open Mat program further reflects the Unit’s pioneering spirit, offering a unique environment for DPS officers, civilian professionals and partner agencies to learn control tactics and self-defense in a relaxed and encouraging setting. This initiative has strengthened unity, morale and interagency cooperation statewide.
In honor of their hard work and dedication, Lieutenant Brian Sunderman, Sergeants Matthew Strube and Zachary Maier, Corporals Adam Reyes, Michael Reisen, and Erasmo Salinas and Training Specialists William “Lako” Kalili and Jason Rebsch, were awarded the Unit Citation. All members of the ACT Unit are stationed in Austin, Texas.
Please join us in congratulating these award recipients. To view additional photos, please click here.
Notably, footage from the crash involving Trooper Waters has been featured in public safety messages over the past year to showcase the importance of the Move Over, Slow Down law. You can view one of those PSAs here.
Article source and photo credit: Texas Department of Public Safety
