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SBSO DEP. GABRIEL ‘TRIP’ ROQUES HONORED WITH KIWANIS LIFESAVER AWARD
St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office Dep. Gabriel “Trip” Roques III received the prestigious Kiwanis Club of St. Bernard Sammie Catalanotto LifeSaver Award for his heroic actions that helped save a man’s life, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.
Dep. Roques was honored Tuesday (Jan. 13) during a banquet hosted by the Kiwanis Club at Rocky and Carlo’s Restaurant in Chalmette. The award recognizes his swift and decisive response during a medical emergency in which he immediately rendered lifesaving aid while off duty.
On the morning of Sept. 25, 2025, while playing golf at Joseph Bartholomew Golf Course, Dep. Roques heard a call for help from a nearby hole, where a course employee was standing over an unconscious man who had collapsed on the green.
Dep. Roques quickly determined the man had no pulse and began CPR. He directed an employee to retrieve an AED from his vehicle and administered two shocks before emergency medical services arrived and took over medical care.
“My years of training just kicked in,” Dep. Roques said. “I didn’t stop to think – I just reacted the way we’re trained to.”
He said bystanders later asked how he remained calm under pressure.
“I told them it wasn’t me being calm – it was years of training taking over,” he said.
Though the man later passed away due to preexisting medical complications, EMS personnel advised Dep. Roques they were able to regain a pulse before transporting him to the hospital. EMS further stated that without Dep. Roques’ actions, the man would not have had a fighting chance.
Sheriff Pohlmann praised Dep. Roques’ actions and commitment to serving and protecting.
“Dep. Roques was off duty that day, but our deputies are never truly off duty because it is something that is just inside them,” the Sheriff said. “His quick thinking reflects exactly what it means to serve others. We are extremely proud of him.”
Capt. Leander Morgan, Dep. Roques’ supervisor, also praised his actions.
“I’m especially proud of Dep. Roques,” Capt. Morgan said. “He stepped in without hesitation, and that speaks volumes about the kind of deputy and person he is.”
A 17-year law enforcement veteran, Dep. Roques began his career with the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office in the Criminal Records Division.
In 2008, he joined the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, serving in corrections, patrol, the Gun Violence Unit, Narcotics, and the Traffic/Motorcycle Division.
He returned to the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office in May 2023 and currently serves in the Field Operations Bureau’s Patrol Division. He is also a member of the SBSO Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Team and the Motorcycle Division.
Dep. Roques said receiving the LifeSaver Award is something he will never forget.
“I’m truly humbled by this recognition. I don’t see what I did as extraordinary – I just did what I was trained to do,” he said. “The hours of training they invested in me made it possible for me to help that gentleman that day. I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve this parish.
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