Chickasaw Nation
Like most police officers, Chickasaw Lighthorse K-9 officer Jared Buckaloo dreamed of being an officer as a child. While many people hope to serve in law enforcement, the dream rarely includes struggling against an armed suspect in the dark. But that is just the harrowing situation officer Buckaloo found himself in near WinStar World Casino on a dark night in July 2022. 
For his courageous, quick-thinking actions to disable an armed suspect’s attack, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has named Buckaloo the 2023 IACP Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
Officer Buckaloo was unanimously selected by the IACP to receive this year’s award.
The award was very unexpected for Buckaloo, who believes he was doing only what the moment required and what his training taught him.
“That evening, I feel I was only doing what was best to protect citizens and my fellow officers,” Buckaloo said.
Presented once annually, the award honors officers who demonstrate exceptional valor in service to the people of Indian County. Officer Buckaloo received the prestigious recognition April 4 at the IACP Indian Country Law Enforcement Section midyear conference in Chandler, Arizona.
Training Continuously
Incidents such as the one officer Buckaloo encountered that night are rare, but they are precisely the type of scenario Lighthorse prepares its officers to handle, said Chickasaw Lighthorse Assistant Chief of Police Terrance Bush.
“The Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department prides itself on being a highly trained department. Jared is a member of our SWAT team, which takes that training a step further,” Bush said. “The SWAT team spent the week of this incident on the firearms range, practicing how not to be a static target for an offender. This inevitably paid off for Jared in this particular situation.” 
For officer Buckaloo, continual training and striving to be the best officer possible is a way of life and something that strikes a very personal emotion.
“My father passed in August of 2018,” Buckaloo said. “He was a firearms instructor for the Chickasaw Nation, and a lot of what I know goes back to his teachings. Training is everything for me.”
Assistant Chief Bush said Lighthorse trains officers to be the “calm in the chaos” and prepares them to work successfully in high stress situations. For officer Buckaloo, this also means staying physically fit, knowing department policy and thinking quickly.
“I cannot thank Lighthorse leadership enough for allowing us to train as much as we do and for always pushing us to attend better trainings,” Buckaloo said. “Being part of the SWAT team has also been such a positive impact on my career. It really helps with decision making in these situations.”
Mental Health
Understanding this type of law enforcement event can be traumatic to everyone involved. The Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department offers many resources to support officers and their families.
“Lighthorse has a qualified mental health professional assigned to the department,” Bush said. “Additionally, we employ a peer support system that accompanies an officer immediately following an incident and maintains constant communication to facilitate meetings amongst the mental health professional and the officer should any assistance be needed.” 
Buckaloo said this support from his family, co-workers and Lighthorse leadership was invaluable.
“It was nonstop support from the second the incident happened and even to this day,” Buckaloo said. “My co- workers were always texting, calling and stopping by my house to visit. It’s the support any officer needs and dreams of when this moment comes.”
Serving Today
Buckaloo continues to grow his law enforcement career as he serves Chickasaw citizens and businesses in the southern portion of the Chickasaw Nation. A Chickasaw Lighthorse officer since 2020, Buckaloo is assigned to the WinStar Precinct with his K-9 partner Gaucho, a talented German shepherd trained in tracking and narcotics detection.
“Gaucho is special because I’m his first handler and he’s my first K-9. We have bonded really well together,” said Buckaloo. “If I’m out of my patrol vehicle, Gaucho is up and watching everything I’m doing. If he cannot see me, he goes nuts when I get back into the car. Gaucho does enjoy naps, but he is always alert and very protective.”
As for the next step in his career, Buckaloo looks forward to new challenges and mentoring younger officers joining the department. 
“My future goals are to promote to a patrol sergeant and perhaps become a criminal investigator and be part of the U.S. Marshals Task Force,” said Buckaloo. “But what I enjoy most with the Chickasaw Nation is being able to serve, give back and teach up-and-coming officers.”
“Jared prides himself on being proactive and is never satisfied with mediocrity,” Bush said. “Every police department and SWAT team needs someone like Jared on their team.”