BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brandon Searles has been recognized as the Middle District of Louisiana’s Freedom 250 Hometown Hero after officials said he stopped an attempted bank robbery before he ever put on the sheriff’s office uniform.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana announced the recognition on May 22. U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall said the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero initiative is part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations and honors local law-enforcement heroes for courage, generosity and service.

Officials said Searles disarmed the suspect as a private citizen

According to the federal release, the attempted robbery happened on May 8, 2025, at the Regions Bank on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard in Baton Rouge. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Searles was a private citizen and former Marine Reservist at the time and was already in the process of applying with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

The release said Searles acted “without hesitation or concern for his own safety,” disarmed and secured Quarles James Harris, then age 52, of Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge police officers arrested Harris and took him into custody, according to the release.

WAFB also reported the recognition and said the deputy was being honored for stopping the attempted bank robbery before he joined the agency.

Sheriff’s office said the action showed character before the badge

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Harris was later indicted by a federal grand jury on counts including bank robbery, using or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The release said Harris pleaded guilty and was awaiting sentencing at the time of the announcement.

“It is my honor to recognize Brandon for his selflessness and bravery,” Wall said in the release. “Without hesitation, he took action that day to protect his fellow neighbors from a very dangerous situation.”

Wall also noted Searles’ prior service as a Marine and said he now continues to serve the community as a deputy.

“Even before Deputy Brandon Searles joined the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, he demonstrated the courage, selflessness, and instinct to protect others that define the very best in law enforcement,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in the federal release.

Gautreaux said Searles’ actions reflected “the character, integrity, and sense of duty that cannot be taught,” and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for recognizing people who step forward to protect others.

From applicant to deputy

The federal release said Searles graduated from the Capital Area Regional Training Academy in December 2025. ThinBlueNews is treating this as a recognition story and is not adding unverified details about the bank incident beyond the federal release and WAFB’s report.

For Support Law Enforcement readers, the story lands because the action came before the title. Officials say Searles was not yet wearing the badge when he stepped in at the bank — but the instinct to protect people was already there.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews relied on the official DOJ release and WAFB’s report, used a real source photo with attribution, and avoided adding unsupported details about the robbery case. No fake AI incident imagery, paid promotion, DMs or outbound messages were used.