Proud to Serve & Protect

Texarkana Arkansas Police Officer Marcos Luna often makes life-or-death decisions while fulfilling his duty to the community

by: AMBER SMITH ZALISKI

photo by JOHN BUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY

Participating in the Shop with a Cop event has always been a blessing for Officer Luna.

“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” More than just a popular quote and a good reminder from Mr. Rogers, these are words we can see in action with our own eyes in our own neighborhoods. For Texarkana Arkansas Police Officer Marcos Luna, rushing toward tragedy is inherently part of the job, and trying to help the situation is always his top priority. With a wholehearted belief in community-oriented police work, Marcos is passionate about his oath to serve and protect.

Marcos made the  move to Texarkana from his hometown of Nashville, Arkansas, in 2009, and pretty quickly decided never to leave. “You could say that Texarkana really grew on me in the first few years I was here,” he said. Originally, Marcos planned to go into teaching; history and Spanish would have been his preferred subjects, but ultimately decided to pursue a career that wouldn’t be spent indoors. “I liked the idea of being able to drive around and have a certain amount of freedom to move around to do the job. I’m also a very social person and a problem-solver, so I enjoy being able to meet people and help whenever, wherever I can. I believed law enforcement would be a fulfilling career for me, and so far that has been true.”

Officer Luna received T.A.P.D.’s Lifesaving Award for his efforts on October 15, 2019, while responding to a call.  Upon arrival to a residence in College Hill, he observed a white male on the ground.  Based on Officer Luna’s training and experience, he knew that the man was overdosing.  He administered two doses of naloxone, which more than likely, saved the man’s life.

In September 2016, Marcos joined TAPD and has been with the agency since. He was recently promoted to Field Training Officer, responsible for training new hires, and he is also an instructor in the agency’s defensive tactics program, which centers around Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in addition to his duties as a patrol officer. “I routinely respond to calls involving drugs, domestic disturbances, trespassing, suspicious vehicles or persons, suicide threats, shootings, death upon arrival calls, among other things,” Marcos said. “It is a sad reality of our profession that the police are typically called upon when something, potentially something very bad, has happened or is happening to someone in the community. As cliché as it sounds, I think the most important part of our work is to help the members of our community to the best of our abilities. Sometimes that means an arrest has to happen; sometimes it means that I can just let someone vent, and they know that someone was there to listen to them.”

It is understood that law enforcement officers see and experience the kinds of traumas that most of us never want to consider, and Marcos admits that it can be a very difficult aspect of the job. “I think seeing death is the hardest part of this job, especially when a child is involved. I know several officers that have had the same kind of experiences, and even in a situation where it is too late to do anything to change it, that is a moment that you never forget. I’m human. I have definitely shed tears after some of the calls I’ve been on.” 

Many calls, however, result in lives being saved, and Marcos has personally been able to keep people alive using his naloxone overdose treatment kit. In October of 2019, he responded to an overdose call for an adult male and used the naloxone kit to keep him alive while waiting for paramedics. Marcos was given a lifesaving award for his actions, as it is believed the man would not have survived otherwise. 

Even though he admits that this is not the best fish he has ever caught, Officer Luna enjoys fishing to this day and is so thankful that his father taught him the sport as a child. 

Again in February of this year, Marcos expertly administered the overdose treatment, this time to a 2-year-old who had eaten some of his parent’s medication. “When I arrived to the call, the toddler was coming in and out of consciousness. Based on my training and experience, I knew Percocet to be an opioid derivative and knew that the naloxone treatment could stop or reverse the effects. Also based on the child’s deteriorating condition and knowing the snow was slowing the response time for LifeNet, I administered one dose in the right nostril. A few moments later the child came to, cranky, but otherwise normal.” 

There are probably no words on paper that can convey the intensity of these kinds of life-or-death moments and decisions, and heroic feels like an appropriate word, but Marcos believes he is simply fulfilling his duty to serve and protect. “This is what I have trained for, and these are the expectations set forth by my peers, and supervisors, and members of the community. I am happy I was able to meet those expectations.” Marcos explained that TAPD employs a unique schedule which allows for mandatory training days each month, including naloxone trainings, active shooter courses, and practicing other specific skill sets. “Like my Lieutenant says – in a high-stress situation, we don’t want to have to try something for the first time. So we try to spend a lot of time practicing for all kinds of situations.”

While every day in uniform is different, Marcos said that his favorite days, undoubtedly, are when he gets to interact with the community. “I love getting to meet people, and I think it’s really important that people get to meet us and know that we’re not just ‘the police.’ We’re regular people, and the job is the job, and we try to do it to the best of our abilities.” Shop With A Cop and Cops and Kids Night are two of his favorite holiday traditions. Marcos even found his way into the classroom through TAPD’s P.R.I.D.E. Program. “This is a mentorship program for sixth graders, teaching all kinds of classes about everything from people skills to healthy coping mechanisms, and we really try to make it a lot of fun for everybody. It’s also a chance for the kids to get to know us on a personal level, and realize there is a person behind the badge.”

As he approaches five years with the police department, Officer Marcos Luna is grateful to be exactly where he is. “I’ve found that Texarkana is a community that shows a lot of support for law enforcement and supports the job we are trying to do. One hundred percent, I am happy with my career choice and would not want to do anything other than what I am doing. I am proud to serve with my fellow officers, and I think our department does a phenomenal job in keeping our goals community-focused,” he said. “Any time I am able to help someone resolve an issue, whatever it may be, and help them achieve peace-of-mind, is an extremely gratifying experience.”