Veteran Norman Police Captain Chris Amason announced today his candidacy for Cleveland County Sheriff. Amason is seeking the Republican nomination in the June 30, 2020 primary. Incumbent sheriff Todd Gibson has been named Moore’s new police chief effective April 6.

Amason, 48, is a Norman resident and has over 25 years in law enforcement. He served as a first line supervisor lieutenant in several areas before being promoted to captain and taking on a command level position.

Amason joined the Norman Police Department (NPD) in July of 2000. He is currently the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division, a position that puts him in charge of roughly 50 personnel and a $3 million annual budget. In this role, he oversees the Criminal Investigations Section, the Special Investigation Section, the Crime Lab, and the Property/Custody Section.

With vast experience involving critical incidents, Amason has supervised and managed over a dozen homicide investigations and ten officer-involved shooting investigations in the course of his career.

During his career, Amason has participated in several specialty areas as an officer to include the pistol, SWAT, and bike teams. He is a certified Drug Recognition Expert and is the impaired driving enforcement commander. Amason is the department’s subject matter expert for the National Incident Management System – Incident Command System. He has used these skills for multiple natural disasters in Cleveland County (including the 2010 and 2013 tornadoes).

Throughout his law enforcement career, Amason has received many awards and commendations. He has been named to the Governor’s 20 several times while a member of the NPD pistol team. This award recognizes the top 20 law enforcement shooters in the state. Amason also received the police commendation bar with risk for disarming an armed suicidal father. Amason holds numerous accolades for a long-standing career of commendable service.

Amason has been a certified peace officer in the State of Oklahoma since 1993. He started his law enforcement career with the Warr Acres Police Department from November of 1992 until July of 1998, where he was one of the first responders to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Amason earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Administration at Mid-America Christian University. He is currently working to obtain his master’s degree. He holds an Advanced Law Enforcement CLEET certification. He has completed the IACP Leadership in Law Enforcement course and is a graduate of the DEA’s Drug Unit Commander Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Amson’s wife, Amber, owns a local professional photography business. They have two children at home: Baylor, 12, and Beckem, 2, and their oldest son, Reagan, graduated from Norman North and is currently a junior at the University of Oklahoma with intentions to pursue a career in medicine. The Amasons are active members of Timbercreek Fellowship church in Norman.