The Duncan Police Department announced Tuesday that one of its own, Officer Vincent Schenck, has died, a loss the agency says has left fellow officers, friends and community members in mourning. Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances of his death, and they are asking the public to avoid speculation while the matter is investigated.
Duncan police identified the officer as Vincent Schenck, calling him a valued member of the department, according to News 9. The department has requested that the Stephens County Sheriff's Office lead an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Schenck's death, a step meant to keep the inquiry separate from the agency where he served. That sheriff's office is led by Sheriff Rick Lang, who formerly served as undersheriff and succeeded longtime Sheriff Wayne McKinney, per the Marlow Review.
Authorities have asked the public to respect the privacy of Schenck's family, friends and colleagues as the investigation proceeds. No cause, time or location of death has been made public, and it remains unclear whether the officer was on or off duty. Details about how findings will eventually be released have not been provided.
A Department Already Under Scrutiny
Schenck's death comes less than three weeks after Duncan Police Training Lieutenant Jarrod Bishop was arrested on complaints of second-degree murder, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and obstructing an officer, following an off-duty collision that killed a bicyclist. Bishop was placed on administrative leave after his arrest, according to Ponca City Now. Hoodline previously reported on that arrest in its piece, charged after fatal hit-and-run.
The back-to-back events have placed unusual strain on a small municipal force. The Duncan Police Department operates with 52 certified officers, 15 support staff members and three animal control officers under Chief of Police Brian Attaway, per the City of Duncan. Attaway has served with the department since 2000 and graduated from the 294th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in June 2025, city records show.
Schenck's Recent Police Work in Duncan
A Duncan Regional Hospital case involved alleged violence against security and medical staff. The available sources do not identify Schenck as the investigator or provide further details about the allegations.
The department's request for an outside investigation reflects standard practice in Oklahoma, intended to avoid conflicts of interest and preserve public trust when an agency's own member dies under circumstances that have not been publicly detailed. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation maintains its Region 4 Southwest Regional Office in Duncan, providing crime scene processing and forensic services to local agencies upon request, according to Oklahoma.gov. It has not been stated whether OSBI has been called into this case.
Institutional Standing Amid Recent Milestones
The department's current stretch of turmoil follows a run of institutional milestones. In March 2026, Duncan police received official Small Agency Accreditation from the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police. The available sources do not detail other personnel developments.
Duncan is a community Hoodline has covered in other recent local law enforcement matters. For now, officials say only that Schenck is being mourned by fellow officers, friends and community members, with further details expected to depend on findings from the Stephens County Sheriff's Office and the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
