Popular ON PATROL: LIVE star Captain Danny Brown honored during ceremony
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Captain and U.S. Army 1st Sergeant Danny R. Brown Jr. was heralded as “a great leader and a true professional” by U.S. Army Brigadier General Jed J. Schaertl during Brown’s U.S. Army retirement ceremony, Friday, August 1, 2025. The ceremony attended by Brown’s family, friends, fellow RCSD deputies and numerous soldiers and military veterans, was held (near capacity crowd) in the auditorium of the storied 81st Readiness “Wildcat” Division headquarters, Fort Jackson, S.C.
Brown, a senior staff non-commissioned officer (NCO), is best known for his work and service as an RCSD captain seen nationwide in real time on the hit television series On Patrol: LIVE and previously Live: PD [he reportedly “holds the record for the most appearances by a male law enforcement officer on both programs”]. Brown leaves the Army Reserve having served in various capacities primarily as a military police officer over his 30-year period of distinguished service: Many of those years on active duty with multiple deployments around the world including one tour in Bosnia and two tours in Afghanistan, where in Kandahar he supervised daily patrols and responses to more than 30 IED attacks and ground attacks, as well as his oversight of numerous protective details for VIPs in his area-of-operations, including the U.S. Army Chief of Staff.
Among the many military schools attended by Brown are the U.S. Army Military Police School; Army Physical Security School; Army Counter-insurgency school in Kabul, Afghanistan; and each of the Army’s stateside NCO leadership schools.
Brown holds numerous military decorations including the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Army Commendation Medal (three), Army Achievement Medal (nine), two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, two NATO Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and several other medals, ribbons, and awards.
“Captain Danny Brown is an exceptional leader both as an Army senior staff NCO and as a law enforcement leader here at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. “His proven service both to our nation and to our citizens right here in central South Carolina are a reflection of his passion for people and his desire to put others ahead of himself: Critical necessities especially for those of us in law enforcement leadership.”
Lott is himself a Fort Jackson Hall of Fame inductee who also serves as two-star commanding general of the S.C. State Guard, added: “There is a high percentage of deputies serving among the ranks of our department who – like Danny – have also worn or in some instances still continue to wear our nation’s uniform. The leadership principles gleaned from both military service and service as a peace officer are mutually beneficial. Danny is living proof of this.”
Brown’s longtime friend, S.C. Black Belt Hall of Famer Bruce Brutschy, who attended the ceremony and who was recognized by Brown, said: “Danny is one of those leaders who naturally leads from the front. If you’ve ever watched an episode of On Patrol: Live in which Danny’s region is highlighted, it’s immediately obvious how when one of his deputies is dealing with a challenging situation, Danny arrives quickly on-scene and deescalates whatever is escalating. It’s also interesting to me and others that he is respected by both the good guys and the bad guys alike. Danny is a calming force in the midst of chaos. Not everyone has that gift.”
Brown enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1995. He transitioned to the Army Reserve in 2000, the same year he joined the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
– Pictured (L-R) Brig. Gen. Jed J. Schaertl and retiring 1st Sgt. (RCSD Capt.) Danny Brown.