Dog The Bounty Hunter Cop Son Honored With Award One Year After Fatal Crash

Published June 9, 2026 6:30 PM PDT

Dog the Bounty Hunter's son, Garry Chapman, is celebrating a major career milestone ... earning a prestigious law enforcement honor after a turbulent stretch that included a fatal crash, a firing and a successful fight to get his job back.

Garry tells TMZ ... ACE Interdiction announced Sunday he was selected as its 2025 Patrol Officer of the Year for his work as a "Criminal Apprehension Specialist." The organization publicly revealed the award on social media and is sending him a plaque recognizing the achievement.

According to Garry, the honor was based strictly on performance. He says ACE Interdiction reviewed his 2025 law enforcement statistics, including arrests and drug seizures, before selecting him as the winner.

Garry tell us his narcotics seizure numbers were the highest in his county during 2025, helping him secure the merit-based award. He adds ACE Interdiction only hands out three awards annually.

The recognition carries extra significance for Garry because he says he was nominated by fellow officers, including members of his command staff, despite the challenges he's faced over the last year.

Garry tells us Dog was "stoked" when he heard about the award and especially loved his son's title of "Criminal Apprehension Specialist."

The award comes after Garry made headlines for his involvement in a September 2025 high-speed police chase that ended in a fatal crash, leaving one teenager dead and several others injured.

As TMZ previously reported ... Garry was placed on administrative leave and later fired by the Priceville Police Department following the incident. He appealed the termination, and the city council ultimately overturned the firing, replacing it with a 10 day unpaid suspension and allowing him to return to the force.