Thompson Named Deputy of Month, Earns Lifesaving Award

Parrish Sheriff's Office named Deputy Serissa Thompson Deputy of the Month for September 2026 and awarded her the agency's Lifesaving Award. The accolades recognize Thompson's actions during an August 2026 incident near Terra Ceia Bay involving a suicidal woman.

The situation began when Thompson responded to a call about a woman who had climbed 50-60 feet into a tree and was initially armed. Thompson established communication, but the woman refused to descend. Deputies moved away to de-escalate the situation while awaiting the Mobile Crisis team. Thompson remained nearby, monitoring the woman.

The woman later hid in a converted barn and climbed onto its roof. Thompson again re-established communication from a narrow, second-story balcony without handrails. As Thompson spoke with the woman, the woman attempted to re-enter the building through a window, shattering it and severely lacerating her forearm. The woman then ran to Thompson for help.

Recognizing the life-threatening bleeding, Thompson calmly applied a tourniquet to control the hemorrhage. She provided reassurance and stayed with the woman until Emergency Medical Services arrived. EMS airlifted the woman to a hospital for treatment. The Sheriff's Office cited Thompson's courage, composure, and medical intervention in saving the woman's life.