Lucas Watts Named South Carolina Deputy of the Year

Corporal Lucas Watts, the Oconee County, SC Sheriff’s Deputy who was shot in the line of duty last November has been named Deputy of the Year by the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association.

The award came during the Association’s annual Conference Award Banquet on July 17th in Myrtle Beach.

Corporal Watts was nominated by Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw and was selected for the award after a vote by the Sheriffs’ of South Carolina.

“During the Awards Banquet each year, the Association votes to select not only the Deputy of the Year but the Sheriff of the Year and a Detention Officer of the Year. A video is produced for each award recipient that is shown before they accept their award,” according to Sheriff Crenshaw. “Our staff at the Sheriff’s Office produced the video that was shown before the Deputy of the Year Award. After showing it to our staff last Tuesday during our Promotions Ceremony, we are happy to share this video with our citizens and the public as well.”

“On behalf of Corporal Watts and his family, as well as the men and women of the Oconee
County Sheriff’s Office, I am grateful to the Sheriffs’ of Oconee County for selecting Lucas for this prestigious award,” Crenshaw said. “There were many great nominees for the Deputy of the Year award and I congratulate all those who were also nominated.”

Due to his continued recovery, and on the advice of his doctors, Lucas and his family were not able to travel to Myrtle Beach to accept the award.

Lucas Watts’ brother Logan Lucas’ who is an Agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, accepted the award on his brother’s behalf.

And possibly for the first time, at the end of the video, Watts publicly thanked everyone for their prayers. To see the full video click here

Also in attendance were Lucas and Logan’s parents, Bobby and Sherry Watts. Besides Sheriff Crenshaw, other Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were in attendance, including those Deputies were with Lucas, and acted quickly to administer first aid and transport Lucas to an ambulance during the officer-involved shooting that injured Corporal Watts on November 16th, 2023. The attendance of Lucas’ fellow officers was made possible by the Oconee County (SC) Sheriff’s Foundation.

Corporal Lucas Watts is now continuing his recovery back home in South Carolina.