An Osage County deputy was remembered over the weekend after he was killed in a car crash last Friday.
The Osage County Sheriff's Office said Captain "Willy" Hargraves was on his way to work when a vehicle crashed into his car at the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and State Highway 18. Officials said he died at the scene.
Hargraves was hired by the sheriff's office as a jailer back in 1998. Two years later, he was promoted to field deputy — and in 2003, he was promoted to K-9 handler. He worked at Osage County schools with his K-9, Jasmine, to detect drugs and to prevent students from using them.
In 2004, Hargraves was promoted to patrol sergeant where he supervised patrol shifts while continuing to work with his K-9 partner. He was promoted again in 2006 to patrol lieutenant and was responsible for supervising all patrols, as well as conducting criminal investigations for the west portion of Osage County.
In 2020, he was promoted to jail lieutenant and in 2021 he was promoted to jail administrator or captain.
Hargraves was promoted one last time to Captain of Investigations for the sheriff's office.
Osage County deputies are asking for the public's help in supporting Hargraves' family by decorating his patrol car in Pawhuska.
A t-shirt fundraiser has also been set up to help the family.
