Fallen OK County deputy’s brother steps in his place as school resource officer
OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) - Just months after his older brother’s tragic death, an Oklahoma County Sheriff’s deputy is stepping back into familiar territory as a school resource officer.
Monday morning, Deputy Dan, as the kids call him, made the rounds in his old stomping grounds at Oklahoma Christian School. Several teachers and staff told him their glad he’s back as he interacted with students. Daniel McCain joined the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office in 2006 and eventually became a school resource officer at OCS before joining the military and getting deployed around 2017. The man that took his place when he left was his older brother Jeremy.
"Jeremy actually had followed every step of my law enforcement career,” McCain said. "If I got promoted, he filled that space by me."
"It's been an emotional roller coaster, but I'm doing well now,” McCain said.
While his brother was in the hospital, Daniel said he started having conversations about coming back and doing what he loved most, which was being in law enforcement.
"The sheriff's office kind of said, you know, why don't you just put in the application and see what happens? It's kind of just a mutual thing and it really worked out,” McCain said.
"So having him back is just fantastic,” Headmaster of Oklahoma Christian School Al King said. “It's very surreal this morning to have him back on campus."
Now, he’s back to walking the halls and seeing several familiar faces.
"Law enforcement is my home being a school resource officer, it's just it's part of me,” he said.
While the tragic death of his brother still stings, McCain said he just wants to continue their legacy and honor him.
"I'm not really for sure how to describe the impact that he has had, but it's something that, you know, I hope that I can come close to be able to do,” McCain said. "Just building those relationships, bridging that gap between, you know, the youth and law enforcement."