VIDEO: One Lowndes County Deputy Is Fighting More Than Just Crime

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – For the last two decades, a Lowndes County deputy has been doing what he loves the most: helping people.

Now, it’s his turn to let people help him. Other deputies are coming to help one of their own.

Lieutenant Chad Waltman is battling leukemia for the second time.

He was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia back in 2014, went into remission, and found out this past December that it’s back, but it’s not putting him down.

Law enforcement runs in Chad Waltman’s bloodline. He followed in his father’s footsteps by working at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department.

“His dad, Jimmy Waltman, use to bring him down here. We use to have a radio room up front. We had a radio operator, this was before 9-1-1 came in, he use to bring him down here and sit him on the counter up there, while his daddy worked at night,” says Major Billy Wood.

Waltman started his career at the Columbus Police Department and became a sworn in deputy ten years ago.

He’s used to fighting crime everyday, and now he’s fighting a battle of his own, for the second go around.

“It came back, so they put me on another drug to try to get it back in remission. Well, it half worked and then came back out. Now, we’re having to go back next week and see what the next step is for me to get to the bone marrow transplant.”

While he waits on the next step, he’s not letting the leukemia hold him back from every day things including work.

“You know, it’s like I told my wife, I’m not going to sit around and let it get me down. I’m going to keep going.”

Fellow deputies, family, and people throughout the community are also helping him to keep going.

“The support, the fundraisers, just doing things that most places of business would not do, you know, they’ve just gone above and beyond.”

A lot of officers share the bond, but some are stronger than others.

“Back when I was shot in the line of duty, back in 2014, you know Chad was there by my side and he made some things happen for me that really meant a lot to me, and this is my time to repay him back,” says Lieutenant Clint Sims.