Marion County Sheriff Gregg Alexander announced that three (3) deputies were recognized as Officers of the Year for Marion County by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin during a luncheon on Thursday in central Arkansas. Alexander stated Deputy Brett Castle, Sergeant Mark Lee, and Lieutenant Silas Gibson were recognized for their actions during a 2023 disturbance, where an armed suspect threatened a family member with a firearm and then barricaded himself inside his residence. The suspect fired on the deputies at least three (3) times from inside the residence, and two (2) of the rounds ricocheted off of a vehicle and struck, but did not injure the deputies. A deputy returned fire during the incident and another deputy continued his efforts to talk with the suspect and determine his condition. At one point, the suspect came out onto the porch and told deputies they would have to kill him.

The deputies continued their attempts to talk with the suspect and were able to convince the suspect to exit the house. He was then taken into custody without incident and transported to the Marion County Detention Center. Sheriff Alexander stated the incident could have ended differently that day if not for the actions of the deputies. He stated they were able to de-escalate a dangerous situation and bring it to an end without any injuries to the suspect or the deputies.