Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard, left, presents a letter of commendation to Deputy Justin McKnight for his actions helping at the scene of a Watson fire. At right is Maj. Alden Thomasson, Uniform Division commander.
LIVINGSTON – Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard recently recognized one of his deputies, Deputy Justin McKnight, for assisting at a fire scene.
“I recently recognized several LPSO deputies for their service in our parish,” Ard said. “Every day, they are called upon to go ‘above and beyond’ the line of duty.
“Sometimes, it’s in order to save a human life. Other times, an animal’s life ...
“On Dec. 21, 2018, Deputy Justin McKnight worked to save humans and animals during a fire at an animal hospital in Watson,” Ard said.
When he arrived, McKnight saw people running out of the building and heavy smoke.
Armed with a fire extinguisher. McKnight went inside multiple times in an attempt to put the fire out, the sheriff said.
When firefighters arrived, the deputy put on a mask. Through his efforts, employees were able to evacuate the animals to safety, Ard said.
But McKnight was affected by the smoke and transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation.
“Although firefighting is not in our playbook, sometimes the circumstances dictate we do whatever we can to help,” Ard said.
