KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — A Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office deputy was presented a Certificate of Appreciation from Kaufman County and a Badge of Courage certificate from Safe Kids Worldwide for actions taken to rescue an unattended infant from a hot vehicle last month.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — A Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office deputy was presented a Certificate of Appreciation from Kaufman County and a Badge of Courage certificate from Safe Kids Worldwide for actions taken to rescue an unattended infant from a hot vehicle last month.
On Saturday, August 1, 2015, Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office deputy Matthew Slater was off-duty in The Colony at Nebraska Furniture Mart when he observed a commotion around a vehicle in the parking lot. Slater approached the vehicle and observed an infant locked inside.
“The vehicle was not running and the parents were nowhere to be found,” stated Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office Captain Fred Klingelberger who said Slater used his pocket knife to break the window and rescue the infant.
During the Kaufman County Commissioners’ Court meeting on Monday, Judge Bruce Wood presented Slater with a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the county. The certificate read:
“We express our gratitude for your bravery and courage in keeping the citizens of Texas safe. We appreciate your selfless act of sacrifice on a daily basis, on and off the job. We commend you for your heroic actions to save a child’s life.”
Safe Kids Texas Task Force Chair Johnny Humphreys also presented Slater with a Badge of Courage certificate on behalf of Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing unintentional childhood injuries.
The infant Slater rescued was later found to be in the car for approximately 20 minutes while the parents were inside shopping. The infant was transported to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where it made a full recovery and 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.
