By Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond
Earlier this month my office opened the nomination process for the Attorney General’s 2025 Oklahoma Officer of the Year Award. My office launched the initiative last year to recognize the best and brightest law enforcement professionals in our state.
Oklahomans rightly revere the bravery, commitment and compassion of the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line each day – without fanfare or hesitation – to ensure the safety of their communities. Such steadfast dedication and sacrifice warrants celebration.
That is why this upcoming fall we will recognize four regional Oklahoma Officer of the Year winners and our overall statewide winner.
In 2024, our regional winners were Bryan County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Murray, Oklahoma City Police Detective Lauren Cunningham, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Derek Fry and Norman Master Police Officer Benjamin Gomez. While any of these four would have been deserving of the Oklahoma Officer of the Year honor, I ultimately selected Deputy Murray for the recognition.
His story was nothing short of heroic. In August 2024, Deputy Murray responded to a domestic disturbance in which a man in a pickup truck was chasing his fleeing wife and two children. The deputy arrived on the scene, the suspect drew a gun and the two exchanged gunfire. Despite being hit three times, Murray remained focused and was able to get a clear shot on the man, who collapsed and surrendered shortly thereafter.
“Deputy Murray displayed selfless and unwavering dedication to protecting and serving the community, exemplifying the true spirit of a law enforcement officer,” wrote Murray’s nominator. “His courage under fire and quick thinking in a high-stress situation is a testament to his professionalism and training.”
Sadly, that nominator, Bryan County Sheriff Johnny Christian, passed away in late March. I had the privilege of eulogizing the sheriff at his funeral. Johnny was a legendary lawman and a pillar of his community – and he had built a culture of exceptional professionalism in his office.
Deputy Murray and Sheriff Christian – along with Detective Cunningham, Trooper Fry and Master Police Officer Gomez – are emblematic of why all of our law enforcement officers deserve our respect and gratitude. They truly exemplify the words of Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
I look forward to learning about this year’s group of nominees and honoring their service.
This is where you come in.
If you know of an officer in your area deserving of recognition, I encourage you to reach out to that agency and ask a supervisor to consider nominating that individual. Officers serving in all Oklahoma law enforcement agencies — including college, university, municipal, county, state, tribal and federal agencies — are eligible. To qualify, officers must have performed admirably in the line of duty within the last 18 months.
Nominations will be accepted until June 30. Additional information is available on the Attorney General Office’s website at oklahoma.gov/oag under “Resources.” I appreciate your help in continuing our tradition of recognizing the heroes who protect the people of Oklahoma.
