Bryan County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Murray was named the 2024 Officer of the Year last week by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond during a ceremony at the the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. “Congratulations to Deputy Austin Murray on your selection as the 2024 Oklahoma Officer of the Year,” Drummond said. “I appreciate your courage, commitment and service to your community.”
In a video, Deputy Murray spoke of the incident, where himself and the suspect were shot.
“I get called out to a domestic in progress,” Murray said. “A husband was chasing a wife with wife having kids in her vehicle. Once I found them, he wasn’t obeying commands and came rushing at me. I end up punching him and as he was on the ground, he pulled out a gun and we started in a gunfight.”
Murray said he knew he was shot twice. After that, another deputy and Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Jerrid Hobbie arrived on the scene and the suspect surrendered.
“So, Jerrid Hobbie actually showed up and saved my life,” Murray said.
Sheriff Johnny Christian said, “Everything he’s done throughout his life has built him up for that moment. Fighting for the life of the lady and her two children. For the life of the arriving trooper and the arriving deputy who I feel he saved as well.”
Murray likes his job and what he does to provide help to those who need it.
“Some people don’t have help, so we are the only help they can get,” he said.
Murray and the suspect, 48-yearold Wesley Buford of Hendrix, were treated at the hospital and released. Buford was charged with assault and battery with deadly weapon - likely to produce death, plus three counts of domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
State Rep. Cody Maynard commended Murray for being the first-ever Oklahoma Officer of the Year by the Attorney General’s Office.
“Deputy Murray displayed immense courage and bravery during this incident,” Maynard said, in a news release. “Despite being shot several times, he never lost sight of his mission of saving the lives of this mother and her children. He is a shining example of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day to protect the public they serve.”
