Attorney General Gentner Drummond today announced regional winners in this second year of the Attorney General’s Outstanding Oklahoma Officer of the Year Award. From these seven stellar officers of the law, a statewide 20205 Officer of the Year will be named in November.
The award program recognizes exceptional service and dedication among Oklahoma’s law enforcement officers. Following a comprehensive review process, a panel of judges – including city, county, tribal and state criminal justice professionals – evaluated nominations from across Oklahoma to select this year’s regional honorees.
“Each of these regional winners exemplifies the highest standards of law enforcement service in Oklahoma,” Drummond said. “Their dedication to protecting our communities and upholding justice makes them worthy representatives of the finest qualities we see in our state’s officers every day.”
The regional winners are:
Northwest Region
Investigator Darren Gordon, Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office
Darren GordonInvestigator Gordon spearheaded a complex multi-state investigation that dismantled a criminal enterprise involved in kidnapping, extortion, robbery and drug trafficking. Gordon entered the case in the wake of a brazen kidnapping in which a woman was forced into a vehicle, robbed at gunpoint and abandoned on a roadside. Beginning with only one identified suspect, he used his expertise in toll records, cell phone data, license-plate reader cameras and other investigative tools to uncover a larger conspiracy involving an out-of-state criminal network. He worked with the FBI and several local agencies in Texas to share and gather information, leading to search warrants executed on several homes of the top level of the criminal enterprise. His work helped lead to identifying six additional conspirators. But Gordon is not done. He continues sifting through mountains of evidence to uncover more criminal activity related to this single kidnapping.
Northeast Region
Officer Nicholas Winters, Coweta Police Department
Winters, NicholasA seven-year veteran of the Coweta Police Department, Officer Winters has distinguished himself through relentless dedication to community safety and exceptional investigative skills. His meticulous approach to traffic enforcement has yielded significant results, including intercepting two illegal contraband shipments bound for correctional facilities and making approximately 15 trafficking arrests. In December 2024, what began as a simple taillight violation led Winters to uncover a homicide. After arresting the driver for drug possession, Winters obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s phone and discovered a photograph of a deceased victim taken just hours before the traffic stop. His investigation led to solving a missing person case from Tulsa and resulted in kidnapping and murder charges against the suspect.
Southwest Region
Deputy Kenton Blumenthal, Grady County Sheriff’s Office
Blumenthal, KentonA third-generation law enforcement officer, Deputy Blumenthal has served Oklahoma communities since 2017. In December 2024, he demonstrated exceptional courage during a multi-agency, high-speed pursuit of a stolen vehicle that endangered citizens across multiple counties and cities for nearly an hour. The armed suspect, known for violence, had rammed through roadblocks, struck a police vehicle, and drove past Blumenthal’s own residence at over 100 mph while the officer’s child played in the front yard. When the pursuit ended at the suspect’s residence, Blumenthal and another deputy pursued the suspect on foot through challenging terrain. The suspect concealed himself in tall grass in an apparent ambush attempt, then suddenly stood and drew two pistols, pointing them toward the deputies. Blumenthal made the split-second decision to use deadly force, neutralizing the threat and ending the dangerous situation.
Southeast Region
Detective Gary Colley, Stringtown Police Department
Sheriff Kody Simpson, Atoka County Sheriff’s Office
Lt. Jimmy Taylor, Atoka Police Department
Officer Aaron Thomas, Stringtown Police Department
Colley, Simpson, Taylor, ThomasThese four officers demonstrated extraordinary heroism in May during a high-speed pursuit that ended in a life-threatening shootout. A theft suspect in a stolen vehicle had rammed police units and endangered residents during the chase in Atoka County. The pursuit ended near Stringtown when the suspect crashed into a truck carrying a family of five, trapping the parents and young children inside. The suspect, armed with an AR-15, fled to nearby trees and began shooting at officers. Detective Colley, Officer Thomas and Sheriff Simpson returned fire. When officers saw the family was caught in the crossfire, Detective Colley and Lt. Taylor placed themselves between the armed suspect and the trapped individuals, using their bodies to protect the family. The officers broke out the vehicle’s windows to get the family out safely. None of the officers were wearing body armor sufficient to stop rifle rounds. The suspect eventually surrendered.
All nominees and the regional winners will be recognized at a reception Nov. 13 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
