Son of Oklahoma County deputy killed by gunfire breaks silence since father's death

The son of a fallen Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office deputy granted an interview for the first time since his father's death. Deputy Bobby Swartz was killed by gunfire in August 2022 while serving eviction papers.

Austin Swartz is speaking out a day before his family leaves for a vacation provided by Oklahoma law enforcement. The Swartz’s are the third law enforcement family to receive an all-expenses paid retreat to the Bahamas through the non-profit organization Ten-Seven Retreat.

Honored To Be Chosen

“Being offered the opportunity to go on that trip it really, it’s really humbling because it gives you the chance to disconnect and get out of the noise that is life and just start to heal.”

Healing: A Three-Year Journey

“There’s times you know it does go by really fast and there are time you look back and it feels like yesterday, especially when you lose somebody that was such a big part of your life, your role model, your kid’s role model.”

Why He Remained Private After Father’s Death

“We got calls from family friends of friends from Upstate New York that said, ‘Hey your kids are beautiful,’ and we never met these people before. So, it was at that point we were like let’s not shut ourselves but close off because it gives us a sense of control and protection.”

Encourages Support of Ten-Seven Retreat

“Shelly and Dwight they are some of the most awesome, kind, gracious, caring people I’ve ever met. If you’re looking for a cause to support to help families, I can’t think of a better one.”

Ten-Seven Retreat was founded by retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Dwight Durant and his wife. The Swartz family will join the Durant’s on their boat in the Bahamas for a week-long vacation. Durant will document each day of the trip on the organization’s YouTube channel.