Placer County native Matthew Morgan often enjoys the quieter side of his life: fishing, kayaking, and playing guitar with his toddler, but when duty calls, he’s always ready to respond. He’s been a Nevada County Sheriff’s Office deputy for 10 years now, originally inspired to join the ranks in high school.
“I did some ride-alongs for my senior project, which opened my eyes to the reality of law enforcement,” he said. “I found it’s not just the exciting stuff that gets posted to YouTube nowadays. I saw how law enforcement connected with the community and had a direct impact in resolving issues.”
While it was initially the excitement of the job that drew his interest, seeing first-hand officers’ compassion and willingness to help is what kept his attention. He finished high school, obtained degrees in criminal justice and liberal arts, and then threw his hat in the ring for the Sheriff’s Office. He started originally as a reserve deputy in 2013, then became a correctional officer, and quickly transitioned into a full-time deputy by 2014. Over the last decade, he’s worked in a variety of capacities, including patrol, civil, field training officer and in crisis negotiations as a member of the Sheriff’s Critical Incident Negotiations Team. He’s seen his fair share of good days and bad, the hardest of which includes responding to loss of life calls.
“Situations that are maybe once in a lifetime for some people are often called ‘Tuesday’ in the law enforcement realm,” he said. “Without a doubt, some of the worst things we as deputies see are part of our mandated duties as the county coroner. Certain cases will stick with us long after the shift is over, and some we never forget.”
The Sheriff’s Office is the coroner for all of Nevada County and must respond to every death within county limits (on average 419 cases per year). While deaths are a near daily occurrence, handling this loss is often a balancing act for deputies. The reality is Deputy Morgan can’t save every person, but he’ll never stop trying and several people are alive today because of his actions.
“One instance that sticks out in particular was stumbling across someone overdosing and getting medics there before that person died right in front of me,” he recalled. “I was pretty fresh off training, and this was long before Naloxone (aka Narcan) was standard issue equipment. I was on night shift conducting some business checks at the Cedar Ridge Y Market when I saw a vehicle occupied by a male and a female. The female appeared to be sleeping. Through the contact, the female was woken up, but appeared to get drowsier as time went on.”
Deputy Morgan recognized the female was under medical distress and radioed for the fire department to assist. The female subject soon lost consciousness and became unresponsive, but because Deputy Morgan had already radioed for medical, she was treated on the spot, transported to the hospital, and survived the near fatal overdose.
“It is my 100 percent belief that if I had not randomly stumbled across her, she would no longer be alive,” he said.
Chance encounters—like being in the right place at the right time—are a common occurrence for most deputies, and it’s incidents like this one that keep Deputy Morgan proudly patrolling the streets. No two days are ever the same, but helping people is a recurring theme. From recovering stolen property to carrying out restraining orders and arresting abusers, Deputy Morgan is always willing to lend a helping hand, so much so, that he is in the running for this year’s Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year award.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Deputy Morgan for his willingness to help in any situation and his dedication to preserving life at all costs.
