Manatee County Sheriff’s Office honors deputy of the year for lifesaving action

Vin Mannix
·2 min read
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Vin Mannix
Vin Mannix

A salute to Deputy Jared Leggett and a bow to Jay Hegemier, fleet manager for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Leggett is MCSO’S 2023 Deputy of the Year and Hegemier is their 2023 Employee of the Year.

A year ago, Leggett was with Sergeant Brett Getman at MCSO’s Anna Maria District Five Unit when Getman collapsed. Unable to find a pulse, Leggett radioed for help and started CPR. Holmes Beach Police Sergeant Thomas Fraser responded to the scene and resumed CPR while Leggett grabbed an AED device to resuscitate Getman’s heartbeat. Then EMS arrived and took over.

Deputy Jared Leggett is MCSO’S 2023 Deputy of the Year.
Deputy Jared Leggett is MCSO’S 2023 Deputy of the Year.

EMTs and Blake Hospital staff determined that had it not been for Leggett and Fraser, the incident would have ended tragically.

And Hegemier was recognized for his compassion and generosity.

Tamara Rogers, a temporary administrative assistant for four months, is physically disabled and wheelchair-bound. Taking an MCAT bus and pushing herself in a manual wheelchair, getting to and from work was a challenge. This was in summertime, too.

Seeing her struggles, Hegemier went above and beyond. He found an electric wheelchair for free that needed repairs and ordered the parts, paying for them himself. Good to go, the wheelchair was presented to an emotional and grateful Rogers.

On her last day of work, she told Hegemier her brief stay with MCSO was nothing short of a miracle because an “angel” gave her that wheelchair.

· Harold Byrd is 64 years young.

· That wily ol’ stork arrived an hour apart for brothers Richie and Ray Morris and their wives Amy and Alex, respectively, with Dr. Michele LeMay doing the honors at Manatee Memorial Hospital. Richie and Amy named Paxton and Parker’s baby sister Payton Margaret. Ray and Alex named their new bundle of love Raymond Alexander.

· Arianna Denison is 24.

· Well done to Jeremy Patterson, 2023 Employee of the Year at the Manatee County Clerk of Court & Comptroller, and Michelle Hernandez and Shanice Mays, co-winners of 2023 Manager of the Year. Patterson works in the Marriage, License and Passport Division. Hernandez is the Courts Input Supervisor and Shanice is the Family & Juvenile Supervisor.

· That’s 26 years of wedded bliss for Brad and Sharon Scarbrough.

· And 21 for Josh and Anne Hunter.

· All the best to Curt Bradley, who’s taken on the challenge of resurrecting Southeast’s football fortunes after his successful run at Braden River.

· Happy New Year, everyone!

Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944. X (formerly Twitter): @vinmannix.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee Sheriff’s Office honors deputy of year for lifesaving action