Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells and Undersheriff Scott Brenner, from left, welcome back to duty recovered officers Deputy Christian Moran, K9 Deputy James Cason, and Cpl. Clayton Hartpence, with Sgt. John Knapp and Lt. Fred Nech. Osage County Sheriff’s Office photo.
The following statement was released by the Osage County Sheriff’s Office today, Jan. 28, 2026:
As of today, all three of our deputies who were injured in the line of duty on Nov. 15, 2025, have returned to full duty.
Over the past several months, our community has prayed, checked in, sent cards, brought food, and shown more support than we could ever put into words. Those prayers, that encouragement, and that kindness mattered more than you know – not just to the deputies, but to their families and to this entire Sheriff’s Office.
These three deputies showed incredible strength, resilience, and determination through their recovery. Watching them fight to heal and return to the work they love has been nothing short of inspiring.
We are blessed to have them back where they belong – serving the citizens of Osage County.
Thank you to everyone who stood with us during this time. Your support helped us through, and today we are sharing some very good news with you.
Osage County is lucky to have deputies like these.
Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells
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