Tulare Co. Deputy named Officer of the Year at Public Safety Night

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was a special night for Tulare County Sheriff's Deputy Luis Araujo. At the Knights of Columbus 37th annual Public Safety Night on Saturday, Araujo was named Officer of the Year by the Knights.

"I'd like to thank (the Knights) for giving us this award, not just for myself but for past awards and future awards and giving us a night of appreciation for law enforcement and first responders," Araujo said.

Deputy Araujo joined the Tulare County Sheriff's Office in 2017. He works Patrol in the Visalia and Ivanhoe areas.

Sergeant Joshua Howser nominated Araujo for the award and commended him for making the best decisions, even in dangerous and stressful situations.

Lieutenant Gary Marks presented Araujo with his award and noted his leadership.

"We're very proud of him," Marks said. "In his short tenure at the Substation, he's really become a leader and a mentor to some of our newer deputies coming to the substation and that was one of the primary reasons why he was nominated."