SAPULPA, Okla. — The Creek County Sheriff’s Office announced the line-of-duty death of Deputy Adam James Heitman, 38, following a medical emergency after assisting in the arrest of a wanted fugitive.
According to the sheriff’s office, Heitman was part of a multiagency task force that apprehended a felony suspect on July 15. Authorities said the suspect, who was wanted on multiple felony warrants and had recently assaulted a law enforcement officer while escaping custody, attempted to flee on foot by crossing a fence, a creek and an open field.
Heitman and his K-9 partner, Thanos, pursued and apprehended the suspect, who was taken into custody without further incident.
Less than an hour after the arrest, Heitman suffered a medical emergency while at the Creek County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers, Creek County EMS and the Sapulpa Fire Department provided emergency medical care before he was transported to Ascension St. John Sapulpa Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Heitman joined the Creek County Sheriff’s Office in 2022, serving as a patrol deputy before becoming a K-9 handler. He previously served with the Kiefer Police Department and spent four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a deployment to Iraq.
The sheriff’s office said Heitman received the agency’s Life Saving Award after rescuing an overdose victim shortly after joining the department.
Heitman is survived by his wife and two daughters.
