Longview Officer Presented Meritorious Conduct Award

LONGVIEW — Longview Police Officer Jeremy Higginbotham was awarded the Meritorious Conduct award for what officials term his thorough investigation into a crash that left one man dead on December 1, 2011. According to a Longview Police Department press release, Officer Higginbotham’s testimony helped convict the driver of the F250 truck that killed Joe Hightower of Kilgore. Steven Cole was convicted of Intoxication Manslaughter with a Vehicle and sentenced to life in prison.

According to Officer Higginbotham’s Supervisor, Sgt. Buddy Molpus, and Gregg County Assistant District Attorney Stacey Brownlee, he did an exceptional job on his investigation and his courtroom testimony was outstanding. Officers can be nominated for and receive the Meritorious Conduct Award for “meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility, the duty reflecting excellence in such performance that he/she distinguishes himself/herself and the Department in carrying out such performance.”