• By Ashleigh Sloop
• Posted Thursday, March 3, 2016

Sworn Staff Member of the Year

On January 1, 2015, Deputy Bottoms was at the Harris Teeter grocery store located at 150 Grant Hill Ln, Winston-Salem. He was off duty, unarmed and in plain clothes attending to personal business. As Deputy Bottoms began walking towards the store, he observed a carjacking in progress. The victim began calling for help as the armed suspect entered the rear seat of her vehicle.

The suspect exited the car and began to chase the victim through the parking lot threatening to shoot her. Deputy Bottoms grabbed the suspect and pushed her arms into the air, knocking a handgun out of the suspect's possession. Deputy Bottoms placed the suspect under arrest. He then identified himself to bystanders and a uniformed security guard as an off duty Forsyth County Deputy Sheriff and requested someone to call 9-1-1.

Deputy Bottoms secured the suspect until Winston-Salem Police Department units arrived and assumed custody. The suspect was subsequently charged with several felonies. Due to Deputy Bottoms' training and quick thinking, the victim and surrounding citizens were not harmed.