Congratulations to Officer Obenland! Officer Obenland, with the Special Investigations Division's Street Crimes Unit, was awarded the Life Saving Award and the Chief's Commendation Medal for his exceptional bravery and dedication.
Here's the stories behind his commendations:
Life Saving Award: On November 1, 2022, Officer Obenland responded to a family disturbance at an apartment complex located at the 1600 block of Garth Rd. The complainant's boyfriend broke a window, causing a life-threatening injury to himself. Officer Obenland quickly applied a tourniquet, preventing further blood loss. Baytown paramedics arrived and transported the subject to the hospital. Later, a paramedic confirmed that Officer Obenland's actions saved the man's life stating, "the man cut completely through his radial artery and did more damage beyond that. Pretty sure that tourniquet saved his life." Officer Obenland's quick response saved a life that day.
Chief's Commendation Medal: On September 14, 2022, while investigating a suspect vehicle and a suspect involved in an aggravated sexual assault case, Officer Obenland stopped a vehicle matching the provided description. The driver matched the forensic sketch of the attacker and had felony warrants. Baytown detectives were notified, and the suspect voluntarily provided a DNA sample, which later confirmed a match to evidence from the crime scene. The suspect was positively identified through a photo array and was subsequently charged with two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault and one count of Aggravated Robbery. Officer Obenland's actions led to the capture of a dangerous criminal and upheld the highest standards of law enforcement.