Local officials say she exemplifies “heart behind the badge'
What began as a routine drive home from a conference on April 22 became anything but for Officer Rebecca Foley of the Boerne Police Department.
“I had just stopped for gas and was on the last leg of the trip before getting home,” Foley said.
As she approached Seguin on I-10 she noticed a vehicle driving erratically and weaving in and out of traffic. Fearing the driver was under the influence, she called 911. Suddenly, the vehicle came to a stop on the interstate.
Realizing the increase in danger and likelihood of a collision, Foley activated the emergency lights on her unmarked patrol vehicle and approached the vehicle.
“Almost as soon as I approached the driver side window, I could tell the man was in distress and having a medical episode,” Foley said. “I told the dispatcher what was happening and requested an ambulance also come to the scene.”
Using her background as the Boerne Police Department’s Mental Health Officer, her training kicked in and she began talking to the elderly man.
Once additional first responders arrived, they determined the man was lost and suffering from dementia. They located his cellphone and contacted a family member in Houston who said they had been looking for the man.
“Honestly, I’m just glad that I was there in the right place, at the right time,” she said. “It was fate that I was there.”
For Chief Steve Perez, Officer Foley’s response was exactly what he would expect when fate found her in that moment.
“Often we put our blinders on and just get home, especially after being gone for a few days,” Perez said. “However, Officer Foley made the decision to intervene and in doing so was able to give relief to a scared family who was searching for their elderly father.”
Officer Foley’s actions are a great example of our department’s values of service and responsibility along with the City’s value of excellence and integrity. A moment of fate, where the heart shined brighter than the badge that protects it.
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