ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern Texas District has selected Abilene Police Lieutenant Brad McGary as a 2023 recipient of their Excellence in Policing award. Though McGary said he doesn’t feel he has done anything remarkable, the Attorney’s office is commending him for his swift and effective handling of a 2022 bank robbery case.

“They called me and said that they had submitted my case, and it won, and I was like, ‘Can you remind me of what the case was?’ Because I was kind of shell-shocked at the time,” Lt. McGary told KTAB/KRBC.

In 2022, the Chase Bank of Abilene was robbed at gunpoint. The robber had fled the scene, and McGary was the first to arrive. He said he assessed the scene and interviewed citizens, finding that one person had captured a picture of the robber’s car. Thinking quickly, McGary relayed this information to the Texas Department of Safety, and a mere 37 minutes after the bank alarms had gone off, the suspect was located at a Merkel Convenience store and taken into custody.

“You go into those things, and the quicker and the more info you can put out, the better chance we have of catching someone,” said McGary.

Humble though he is, McGary shared that it feels good to have his efforts recognized after 31 years on the force.

“I think that’s just the kind of department we have. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was me or the most rookiest rookie we have. I think they would have done the same thing,” McGary said.

Of all the APD divisions he has served in, McGary said he has always taken pleasure in finding ways to protect the people and the community he loves.

“Just that aspect of giving back and serving the community that kinda helped raise me,” McGary shared.

The award ceremony takes place on Friday, September 17, in Dallas. Awardees are chosen through a rigorous process of review by multiple national law enforcement agencies.