Holly MatkinEdmond, OK – A veteran Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputy is fighting for his life after a he was crushed by a security gate during a “freak accident” that resulted in him being revived three times by bystanders, police, and emergency medical personnel, according to the sheriff.
Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) Deputy Jeremy McCain, who serves as a school resource officer, was leaving Oklahoma Christian School in East Edmond on March 10 when his patrol car ran into a portion of a partially-opened security gate at approximately 6:50 p.m., The Oklahoman reported.
The 36-year-old deputy was traveling less than 10 miles per hour at the time, Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson told reporters on Monday.
The gate pierced the patrol car’s windshield and pinned the 11-year department veteran inside his patrol vehicle, resulting in “severe crushing injuries,” Sheriff Johnson said.
Among those injuries was a broken neck, The Oklahoman reported.
Deputy McCain “died three times that night,” according to the sheriff.
He was initially revived by bystanders and Edmond police officers who rushed in to help him in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
When he arrived at the hospital emergency room, doctors revived him again when they “opened him up and manually massaged his heart for 10 minutes,” Sheriff Johnson said.
Deputy McCain was brought back a third time during surgery that night.
He went through more than 60 units of blood during the night of the incident alone.
“It’s truly a miracle that he’s still with us,” Sheriff Johnson said on Monday, according to The Oklahoman.
He remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition and continues to fight for his life.
Sheriff Johnson said he is hopeful the veteran deputy did not suffer significant brain damage, but noted it is too soon to determine the full extent of his injuries, The Oklahoman reported.
“[Officer McCain] isn’t out of the woods yet, so we are asking for your continued prayers,” Sheriff Johnson said.
He also urged citizens to donate blood in the injured officer’s name.
Sheriff Johnson said the collision is “no one’s fault,” The Oklahoman reported.
“There’s no negligence. It’s just an accident that we wish we never had to speak about,” he said. “But unfortunately, we’re here.”
Deputy McCain is a single father of a seven-year-old autistic son, The Oklahoman reported.
“He has a kiddo here who needs his dad,” Sheriff Johnson said, according to People. “Jeremy is everything to his kid.”
Sheriff Johnson said the longtime deputy is a valuable member of the sheriff’s office and the community, and that he knows all of the students’ names at the school where he works.
He has even given some of the children nicknames.
“This is someone who’s invested their life, invested their time in this community, in these kids, in this administration, the teachers and students, and you see it coming around full-fold because they support him just as much,” Sheriff Johnson said, according to The Oklahoman.
Sheriff Johnson said he is thankful for the support the OCSO and Deputy McCain have received in the wake of this tragedy.
“We appreciate our community. I will tell you – they have come out in droves,” he told KOKH on Wednesday. “The OCS community, the Oklahoma County community, the Oklahoma community…just every corner. It’s just been amazing to see…”
Sheriff Johnson said he is especially thankful for the Good Samaritans who selflessly jumped in to help an officer in his time of need.
“When you see law enforcement, you think law enforcement’s the first one running in,” he told KOKH. “Well, law enforcement’s the one [who needed help] in this situation and it was our citizens running in. How powerful is that?”
A fundraising campaign established to help Deputy McCain during his long road to recovery has raised more than $76,000 so far.
Sandy Malone
