Sonora, CA…From the Tuolumne Sheriff’s Office….”It is an honor and privilege to serve Tuolumne County. We want to give a shout out to four members of the Sheriff’s Office who were honored at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. In late September, Deputy Alex Zanini and Deputy Bryan Lee responded to a report of a suicidal woman who was standing on the edge of the Stevenot Bridge in Sonora. The deputies found the woman standing on the ledge, hysterical and uncooperative. Deputy Zanini talked with her for more than 10 minutes and was able to convince her to grab his hand and climb over the railing to safety. Both deputies helped calm the woman down, escorted her to a patrol vehicle, and made sure she got to the hospital. Sergeant Serrano of the Tuolumne County Crisis Negotiations Team summed up their actions best, “These two deputies showed extreme poise in the face of one of the most dynamic and dangerous situations a deputy can be face with along with a sense of deep compassion, during and after this incident.” Both deputies were presented with the Life Saving Award.

Sergeant Jeff Wilson received a Service Award for his 25 years of service and Dispatcher LeAnn Castleberry was recognized for two decades with TCSO.

Thank you, Sergeant Wilson and Dispatcher Castleberry, for your continued service. And thank you Deputy Alex Zanini and Deputy Bryan Lee for your dedication and compassion to the community. We are proud of you!”