By Terra Avilla
My normal protocol for writing this article is not to tell the subject that I am writing about them, because I love to surprise them.
But today I jokingly spilled the beans to Dustin Russell during an interview, and his response to me was, “You better not” and then I snapped this picture of him.
Humility is one of his strong points. You know what else is one of his strong points? He is so funny! Even in the roughest, toughest situations, Russell can always bring levity which is crucial in this field.
Dustin, however, is a little bit more introverted than I am. He kindly reminds me that you can still be an effective law enforcement officer without being over the top and obnoxiously loud. (Which I am working on).
Luckily, despite our very different personality styles, Dustin never makes me feel bad, or like I’m too much, and as of this date, he has yet to ban me or kick me out of his office.
Sgt. Russell is an essential at the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, and whether you live in the city or the county I’m sure you have seen Sgt. Russell out and about in the community.
Sgt. Russell is a community staple. Through the Covid pandemic as well as the wildfires, Sgt. Russell put in hours and hours away from his family to serve and protect yours.
Dustin and I have children that are approximately the same ages and so we end up at a lot of the same events, (back to school nights, soccer games, etc.) He, however, is trying his best to manage being a dad and still serving his county. I know what it was like to tell my child, that I would “try” to make it, but it depended on calls for service. He never complains.
Dustin currently is the Investigations Sergeant, a very crucial role in solving some of our most heinous crimes. When I started as an Investigator, he was so patient with me (and still is) when I would inundate him with my millions of questions. And everything outside the city limits was foreign to me.
He continues to be a wealth of knowledge and great resource from me at my job, despite the fact the he refuses to make Tiktoks with me. (Maybe one day, I’m still holding out).
In his free time Dustin spends time with his beautiful family. He plays slow pitch softball, enjoys poker nights with his friends, attends his child’s sports, and is always willing to help anyone out.
I am really grateful to have the assistance of Sgt. Russell, but I’m also more grateful to have his friendship. He makes some of the hardest case bearable, and I don’t think I’ll be able to repay him for that.
So, in closing, I TOLD YOU I wasn’t joking Dustin. Don’t be mad at me. Just accept the fact that you are and always will be, one of the reasons I love where we live.
