Deputy's ‘kind ear’ makes all the difference

After being the saving grace for a man in need, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office named Deputy Austin Whisman as employee of the month. 

On April 16, Whisman was driving home when he observed a vehicle driving erratically. Whisman conducted a traffic stop where he found a man who appeared emotional and distressed. 

After Whisman asked if the man was okay, the man explained that he had just retired from the military after serving for 22 years. Also, his wife of 19 years had just left him. 

The man told Whisman he was having a very bad night and was planning on taking his own life when he got home. 

Whisman sat on the roadside and spoke with the man for several minutes, and by the end of the conversation, the man told Whisman that he was his saving angel. 

The man told Whisman that his kindness and compassion saved him from ending his life. 

The following morning, Whisman’s lieutenant told him that the man brought a gift and a note. The gift was an Official U.S. Naval True North Compass, presented to the man at his last post as chief. 

The note read, “Sometimes when we’re fighting demons, God sends us help. I was in a hurry to complete a mission, but you stopped me and lent a kind ear.”