Robbers ambush, shoot off-duty Oklahoma County sheriff's major

Waldenville was shot once over his right eye. The bullet destroyed his eye and caused multiple facial fractures, but ricocheted downward inside his skull, causing no brain damage, Whetsel said.

A surgery that was anticipated to take 6 to 8 hours was completed in less than four hours, he said.

Waldenville remained in critical condition Sunday at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“Every indication is that this is a survivable wound, but we're taking it one moment at a time,” Whetsel said.

John Waldenville — who was in uniform and armed — was ambushed by the shooters on the sidewalk just north of the restaurant, Whetsel said.

The robbers came from behind or from the side of a pharmacy and shot him, then fled with the money bag, Whetsel said.

“He was targeted for this assault. He never had an opportunity to go for his gun. It was still strapped when the cowards shot him in the head,” Whetsel said.

No arrests have been made, but officers and deputies are searching for two black men wearing hooded sweatshirts, Oklahoma City police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said.

“They've been out there working all night and will continue until we have these two in custody,” Whetsel said.

Waldenville, a 25-year veteran of the sheriff's office, has a master's degree in business administration and is the supervisor of the administrative services bureau, Whetsel said. He also worked off-duty at the restaurant on a regular basis.

“He is a very key part of our management team,” he said.

Waldenville's wife and one of his sons, as well as numerous deputies and their families, have been with Waldenville at OU Medical Center since he was shot.

“I was going to go down and sit with him yesterday in Cattlemen's and visit with him, and I ended up going on to the house and told him I'd see him in a little bit and said, ‘I'll call you or you call me.' So I called him about 11:59 and he didn't answer, and I knew he was either probably taking something over or he was busy or his phone was charging and he'd call me right back, and the next thing I know, I had another deputy at my door,” wife Marjorie Waldenville said.