Midlands trooper named SC ‘Trooper of the Year’ after saving drowning child
Master Trooper David Jones was named the 2021 Trooper of the Year Friday by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Jones earned the honor, in part, for helping to save a child from drowning in a swimming pool, the department said.
“It was an honor to be awarded the 2021 Trooper of the year,” Jones said in a statement, adding that he would always be grateful for the recognition. “God has truly blessed me in my career and it was his divine touch that saved little Landon that day. God had me at the right place at the right time.”
Jones, of Lexington County, works for the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s community relations, recruiting and employment unit. He has in the past patrolled the Midlands, including Richland and Lexington counties.
Often seen on television news and quoted in The State, Jones is a go-to trooper for reporters looking for information on wrecks, road conditions and other public safety questions.
Gov. Henry McMaster congratulated Jones in a statement, and said the work Jones and his colleagues “do on a daily basis is exceptional and our state is lucky to have such great law enforcement professionals keeping us safe.”
In a statement, Jones praised his fellow troopers whose deeds -- such as paying for hotel rooms, filling empty vehicle tanks and helping during natural disasters -- go unnoticed.
“Every day I am amazed at the heroic and selfless actions of my coworkers and they all deserve the praise! I truly work with the best law enforcement agency in the nation,” Jones said.
The public safety department also named nine other troopers as finalists for its highest honor:
- Trooper T.A. Johnson
- Lance Corporal R.G. Chase
- Lance Corporal J.M. Gardner
- Lance Corporal D.A. Bunch
- Lance Corporal A.J. Marshall
- Trooper H.L. Green
- Trooper First Class J.J. Richardson
- Master Trooper J.L. Baldwin
- Lance Corporal N.R Everhart
Chelsie Cribb and Jessica Wiebalk, of the department’s Charleston telecommunications center, were named co-recipients of the Telecommunications Operator of the Year award.
Taurean Kinard, Carl DeVault, April Smith were also finalists for the honor.
“The troopers who were honored today made a split-second decision that saved a life; put in the extra time to help solve a case; or went the extra mile to make South Carolina’s roadways safer,” public safety department director Robert G. Woods IV said. “We were also proud to honor our outstanding Telecommunications Operators who serve as a crucial link between troopers and the motoring public.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 11:18 AM.