Sheriff’s Life Saving Award Presented to Deputy Cody Skellenger 

November 6, 2024 – Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office officials announce that they would like to Congratulate Deputy Cody Skellenger on his receipt of the "Sheriff’s Life Saving Medal." This award is reserved for those who selflessly serve our community and display the highest standards of professionalism and bravery in the face of danger, resulting in the preservation of human life.

On June 8, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m., Tuolumne County Behavioral Health reported to the Sheriff’s dispatch that one of their clients was experiencing a mental health crisis. The client in crisis was reported to be a danger to themselves and possibly others; furthermore, the individual was reported to be roaming the Twain Harte area on an all-terrain vehicle. A record check of the subject revealed a history of mental health detentions for suicidal and other violent tendencies. On the day of this incident, the subject informed Behavioral Health staff that he was going to "light himself on fire" or "blow himself up."

Deputy Skellenger responded to the Twain Harte area and located the subject, who was holding a red gasoline container near the shoreline of Brentwood Lake. Deputy Skellenger kept approximately 40 yards from the subject, requesting fire resources and additional units to secure the area. The subject’s speech was unintelligible, and it was unknown if the subject doused themselves with gasoline. Deputy Skellenger coordinated with dispatch to call the subject on a cell phone, which was successful. The subject made several threats to commit suicide if Deputy Skellenger approached him.

At one point the subject became increasingly agitated and told Deputy Skellenger he was prepared to go out like, "Gran Torino," and proceeded to tell Deputy Skellenger he was going to instigate a violent ending to the incident. Deputy Skellenger continued to encourage the subject to end the incident peacefully and repeated, "I’m not here to hurt you, I am here to help you." Deputy Skellenger spoke to the subject for approximately one hour, developing a rapport with the subject while additional resources secured the area.

After an hour of dialogue, the subject informed Deputy Skellenger he was hanging up and going to drown himself. The subject abruptly entered the water and started kicking toward the deep portion of the lake, exhaling and submerging himself into the water. Without hesitation, at full sprint, and without regard for his own safety, Deputy Skellenger cleared approximately 40 yards and dove into the water in full uniform and gear. Deputy Skellenger was able to wrestle the subject back to the shore where other deputies assisted with the detention.

Deputy Skellenger exhibited patience, empathy, and genuine care for a human life beyond his own. The quick thinking of Deputy Skellenger and his use of restraint was instrumental in the de-escalation efforts that allowed him to capitalize on the first opportunity to achieve a peaceful resolution during this high-risk encounter.

Deputy Skellenger’s actions shall be regarded as a model of selflessness and dedication to duty, which resulted in the preservation of human life and are in keeping with the highest standards of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.

We would like to thank Access Tuolumne for providing the video clip used!

Source: Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office