Editor’s Note: These remarks and prayers were delivered Sunday evening at the community vigil for Sgt. Thomas Duran by his friend and fellow officer, Lt. James Ramey. Sgt. Duran, a veteran El Reno police officer, was critically injured in a hit-and-run incident that occurred early on Oct. 17.

I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight.

My name is Lt. James Ramey with the El Reno Police Department. I am currently the chaplain for our Fraternal Order of Police.

A statement from Mark Nelson
President, Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police 

With the permission of the Duran family, and at the request of Chief Brown and the El Reno Fraternal Order of Police, I want to update everyone who has been praying and sending well wishes for Sgt. Thomas Duran, a 14-year veteran of the El Reno Police Department.

With demolition of Canadian County’s old administrative office building starting next week, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new county courthouse will be planned for January.

The four-story, 112,407-square-foot courthouse is expected to open by mid-2027.

After recently approving the building’s final design plans, commissioners convened Monday as the Canadian County Public Facilities Authority (CCPFA) to receive an update from their construction manager on the new courthouse project at 201 N. Choctaw.