Often times when someone does an act that is selfless and heroic they are recognized and praised for two, three, maybe even six months.
But eventually they fade into the background as we go on with our daily lives.
Very few people take the time to find out what ever happened to these heroic souls once the dust settles.
But what we as normal citizens fail to realize is, these heroes lives will never just go back to normal like ours will.
Many of you will remember that in 2013 one of Morrow County’s Deputy Sheriff’s was severely injured in a gunfight with a local marijuana farmer.
Brandon Moore sustained multiple serious gunshot wounds that would forever change his life.
For those of you who do not know, Deputy Moore was responding to a normal complaint call until he discovered a very large marijuana field growing at an adjacent property.
As he crested a hill overlooking the illicit crop, waiting for him was an armored man with an automatic rifle.
Having only the time to grab his pistol, Brandon began battling for his life with the armed stranger.
After being shot multiple times, Moore was able to wound the grower long enough to stop him from shooting.
At this time the assailant’s wife came out of the house and disarmed the man in time for reinforcements to arrive.
“At the end of the shooting I had my belt wrapped as a tourniquet around my leg… an overwhelming sense of peace came over me,” Moore said about the shootout. “If you’re crawling through a cornfield bleeding, to be filled with peace not knowing if you’re going to live or not, well it confirmed any and all beliefs that I have in God. Nothing that a man can do to that will ever touch that belief.”
After the shots were silenced, Deputy Moore faced several life threatening and changing surgeries in front of him.
Brandon said that the support he received was always unwavering.
“Sheriff Brenneman was there for every single one of my procedures, even if it wasn’t serious or life threatening. The support my family and I received from the Office and those around me was incredible.”
It is during times like these that one finds the true depth and color of their character.
Brandon sustained several serious injuries, one threatening to take his foot away from him. In order to save all chances of him returning to the force, Brandon opted to have surgery that would allow him the best chance to return to active duty.
“If I gave up, the guy who tried to murder me was taking my life and my way of life,” Moore explained. “I did not want to give either of those up. I didn’t want to ever feel like he was taking either of those from me.”
After nine months of physical therapy, Brandon returned to the Sheriff’s Office to resume active duty work.
It was during this time that he realized that the physical requirements of the job might be too much for his newly surgically repaired body.
Deputy Moore had to make a serious decision, am I able to continue on with this line of work?
The newly returned Brandon didn’t want to reduce his duties to take him out of the field, but it was becoming apparent to Moore that actively serving the county was going to be difficult.
About this time Moore’s idea for Hero Holsters began to take life.
