2026 Oklahoma Officer of the Year - Southwest Regional Winner - Sgt. John Cruise

Sergeant John Cruise of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is the 2026 Southwest Regional Officer of the Year. On Dec. 9, 2025, an oncoming pickup struck his inmate transport bus head-on on Highway 39 near Lexington. Though involved in the crash himself, Cruise helped free the injured bus driver, improvised a tourniquet to save the other driver's life, and helped safely evacuate all 13 inmates on board.