Terrebonne deputy receives badge, engagement ring at graduation

When Whitney Falgout went into yesterday’s Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy graduation, she aimed to receive the Academics Award in addition to her badge. (She obtained both accomplishments.) But she didn’t plan on walking out of the ceremony with an engagement ring too.

“My whole shift knew about it and a bunch of people from different divisions…So I had several people who wanted to be there for the graduation and just for that,” Allen said. “They were banging on tables; they were hollering. It was pretty cool.” 

“It was really loud,” Falgout smiled. “It was awesome.” 

It’s only fitting that Allen and Falgout, who have been dating for nearly two years, got engaged at a Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office event — as the law enforcement agency is what brought them together. Mutual friends at TPSO introduced Falgout, who worked as a bailiff writer, to Allen, a California native who joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2013. 

Last year, he made it known to his fellow officers that he planned to propose, Allen said, before coming across the idea to do it at the graduation. After running it by his superiors, who thought it was a great idea, the plan began falling into place, he said. 

Falgout said she could tell Allen he was a little nervous before the proposal at Thursday’s event. “He was just kind of looking at me [after he pinned the badge], and I said, ‘Why are you standing right here? Please sit down,’” she laughed. “He said, ‘I don’t want to sit down.’ And then he asked me.” 

Allen admits he was anxious, but he wasn’t worried about her saying no. “I’m not really a public speaker, so I’m definitely not a public proposer,” he shared. “But I wanted it to be special for her.” 

Photos submitted.