AUSTIN, Texas — Several Texas Department of Public Safety personnel were recognized for their service and sacrifice during the December Public Safety Commission meeting in Austin. Awards presented included two Purple Hearts, four Lifesaving Awards, and one Unit Citation, according to a press release from the department.
The Purple Heart was awarded to Corporal Scott Keane, of Big Lake, Texas, and Trooper Derrick Waters, of Katy, Texas, for their personal sacrifice and devotion to duty. Corporal Keane was injured on November 7, 2024, while assisting in a vehicle rescue when an airbag deployed unexpectedly, causing serious injuries that required surgery. Trooper Waters sustained life-threatening injuries on September 27, 2024, during a traffic stop in Harris County when a vehicle failed to follow the Move Over, Slow Down law, striking him and his patrol unit. The driver was later apprehended and charged…