Deputy Thompson Honored with Deputy of the Month, Lifesaving Award

Bradenton, FL – Deputy Serissa Thompson received the Manatee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) Deputy of the Month award for September 2026 and the agency's Lifesaving Award for her actions during a critical incident in August 2026.

Thompson responded to a call involving a suicidal woman armed and perched 50 to 60 feet up a tree. She began de-escalation efforts, but the woman refused to descend. As other deputies created distance, Thompson maintained surveillance.

The woman later hid inside a converted barn and climbed onto its roof. Thompson re-established communication from a second-story balcony without handrails. The situation escalated when the woman punched out a window to re-enter the barn, sustaining a severe, life-threatening laceration to her forearm.

The woman then approached Thompson for help. Thompson calmly applied a tourniquet to control the bleeding, reassured the woman, and remained with her until EMS arrived. The woman was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

MCSO officials credited Thompson's courage, tactical composure, and proficient medical intervention with saving the woman's life.