From Fired to Award-Winning: Garry Chapman's Stunning Redemption

Sometimes a comeback story writes itself. Garry Chapman, son of Dog the Bounty Hunter, just pulled off one of those rare professional turnarounds that actually sticks—and it came with hardware to prove it.

In June 2026, ACE Interdiction announced that Chapman had been named its 2025 Patrol Officer of the Year. That’s a serious distinction in law enforcement circles, especially since the organization hands out only three awards annually. But here’s what makes this particular win newsworthy: Chapman earned it after getting fired, fighting to get his job back, and rebuilding his reputation with the same officers who’d watched him hit rock bottom.

The context matters. In September 2025, Chapman was involved in a high-speed police chase that ended in tragedy—a fatal crash that killed a teenager and injured several others. He was placed on administrative leave, then formally terminated by the Priceville Police Department. Instead of accepting defeat, Chapman appealed. The city council ultimately overturned the firing, replacing it with a 10-day unpaid suspension and clearing his path back to the force. It was a second chance, plain and simple.

What makes the ACE Interdiction award remarkable isn’t just that Chapman won it—it’s how he did. The selection was merit-based, grounded entirely in his 2025 statistics: arrests, drug seizures, and law enforcement performance. Chapman’s narcotics seizure numbers were the highest in his county last year. His peers, including members of his command staff, nominated him despite knowing everything he’d been through. That’s not a sympathy award. That’s respect earned back one case at a time.

Dog himself was thrilled when he heard the news, apparently particularly charmed by his son’s official title of Criminal Apprehension Specialist. It’s the kind of moment that suggests Chapman hasn’t just survived the worst chapter of his career—he’s written a better one on the back of it. Whether you see it as redemption, resilience, or simply the result of putting your head down and doing the work, the numbers don’t lie.