Major John Waldenville, a true friend of Reserve Law Enforcement, was seriously injured this past weekend. He is making a strong recovery from very serious wounds.
Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Major John Waldenville was ambushed and shot at about midnight Saturday morning in the Oklahoma City Stockyards area. John was working off-duty for Cattlemen’s Restaurant and was walking with a bank bag to a nearby bank when he ambushed by two males. John was in full uniform and never had the opportunity to go for his weapon before he was shot.
John was struck in the head by a single gunshot above the right eye. John has lost the eyesight in his right eye and the bullet is still lodged below his ear. The bullet traveled in a downward path and missed the brain. The biggest concern is the swelling of the brain due to the trauma and John has been kept sedated to allow the pressure to go down – which is happening. John is in the OU Health Center Presbyterian Tower ICU and visits are extremely limited to family and few others due to need to keep noise and activity at a minimum to allow the brain to not have to process outside stimulus (noise, talking, movement, etc). John’s recovery looks extremely promising and we will keep everyone updated as to his progress.
On Sunday afternoon, both individuals believed to be responsible for this heinous crime were arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail – less than 48 hours after the shooting.
Words cannot express the appreciation we feel for the outstanding work of the men and women in law enforcement who have solved and continue to investigate this crime. Their work has been and continues to be constant and tireless, many going without sleep until the two were identified and captured. The absolute and seamless level of cooperation among law enforcement agencies working together in this effort is remarkable and expected. We know this list is not complete and we apologize in advance to anyone we miss now, but let us say thank you to:
- Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, especially the warrant team, COMIT, Investigations, Detention, Patrol, Records & Warrants, Communications
- Oklahoma City Police, especially the Homicide Division, Gang Unit, IMPACT, Patrol – we asked OCPD to investigate the shooting
- U.S. Marshall’s Service and Metro Fugitive Task Force
- Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, especially David Prater and Scott Rowland
- Oklahoma County District Courts, especially Judge Don Deason
- Midwest City Police
- Oklahoma Highway Patrol
- Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
Also a special thanks for the life-saving care of the medical professionals at EMSA for their work at the scene and OU Health Sciences Center, specifically in the emergency room and ICU. We also want to say thanks for the support shown from every county officer, county employees, Seminole County Sheriff Shannon Smith who arrived at the scene to help within two hours of the shooting, OU Police, from businesses, citizens, law enforcement agencies, and from all over the country we have received calls from those who knew and worked with John as he has interacted with different groups. Many learned about this shooting through national media coverage on CNN, MSNBC and FOX news. We have received so many offers for assistance and the response has been overwhelming. This is a personal testament of the kindness and professionalism of John Waldenville.
We must also give a very special thank you to the dedicated and professional men and women of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office who have and are supporting John and his family in so many different ways - hospital visits, food, calls, cards - and especially the Reserve Division which has provided 24-hour security at the hospital with John and those we named above who gave so much to make sure John’s attackers were arrested and jailed quickly. We appreciate the FOP for heading up the fundraising efforts for John. The Sheriff’s Office “family” has rallied around a family member in need and we are so proud of each of you.
Major John Waldenville is commander of the Administrative Services Bureau and the agency Chief Financial Officer. Major Waldenville has been with the Sheriff’s Office for over 22 years.
It is still so difficult for us to know that John was targeted for this attack. Please keep John and his family in your prayers. John has a long road ahead filled with challenges that he will overcome with our support and the knowledge that we will be with him each step. John is a vital member of our management team and he is our coworker, but more importantly, he is our friend.
Thank you,
John and Mitzi Whetsel
Oklahoma County Sheriff
"Pride in who we are .. Professional in what we do !"
