KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — An off-duty Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office deputy is being commended for actions he took earlier this month in rescuing a 7-month-old infant from a hot car.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — An off-duty Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office deputy is being commended for actions he took earlier this month in rescuing a 7-month-old infant from a hot car.
Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matthew Slater was exiting Nebraska Furniture Mart in The Colony, Texas, on Saturday, August 1, 2015, when he observed a commotion around a vehicle in the parking lot. Slater observed several people around a vehicle with an infant locked inside, Kaufman County Sheriff’f Office Captain Fred Klingelberger said.
“The vehicle was not running and the parents were nowhere to be found,” stated Klingelberger.
Slater used his pocket knife to break the window and rescued the infant.
“After further investigation, he concluded that the child had been inside the hot vehicle for approximately 20 minutes while the parents were inside the business shopping,” stated Klingelberger.
The infant was transported to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where it made a full recovery. The parents were charged with abandoning or endangering a child.
“I would like to commend Deputy Slater for a job well done,” stated The Colony Police Department Lieutenant Brent Brown in an email to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office. “It is my opinion that the actions taken by Corporal Slater may have saved the child’s life.”
“Not only did Corporal Slater take swift and appropriate action, but he also took the time to write a detailed statement documenting his actions and the condition he found the child in,” stated Brown.
Slater also just completed K-9 training school and will be introducing a new K-9 to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, according to Klingelberger.
