An Oklahoma City police captain pulled over for suspected drunk driving earlier this month was caught on video begging the arresting officer to turn off his body camera in recently-release footage.
Captain James “Matt” French was arrested on March 17 after fellow Oklahoma City police officer Sgt. Chris Skinner spotted French swerving and failing to use his turn signals in traffic in his personal SUV. Skinner confronted French in the captain’s driveway.
The entire interaction begins like a buddy-comedy duo act. From NBC:
“I’m ...” French begins to say.
“Drunk?” Skinner asks.
“No. I’m the captain,” French replies.
French gets back in his SUV and again tells Skinner that he is with the city’s police department. He then whispers to Skinner: “Turn your camera off.”
Skinner refused the request and asks French to exit the vehicle.
French says on the video that he was at a poker game and had three or four beers. Skinner asks French if he thinks he should have been driving.
“No, but I came from four blocks,” the captain responds.
Skinner instructs French to lift one leg and count until he’s told to stop. When French loses his balance he again asks the officer to turn his camera off.
“I cannot sir. I know you’re aware of our body camera policy. You know I cannot turn off this body camera,” the officer says. “I have taken an oath to uphold the law. I don’t show favoritism to anyone, regardless. I don’t care if you’re a gangbanger or the President of the United States.”
French gets back in his SUV and again tells Skinner that he is with the city’s police department. He then whispers to Skinner: “Turn your camera off.”
French now faces both an administrative investigation as well as a criminal inquiry into his actions.
French has been on the Oklahoma police force for 32 years, so he definitely should know the department’s policies on body cameras. He should also know that drunk driving only four blocks is still drunk driving. Breaking the law a little bit is still breaking the law. Especially considering that car crashes requiring emergency room visits often happen within 10 miles of home.
Drunk driving is a horribly dangerous crime that can lead to tragedy. Despite dealing with drunk drivers and their outcomes, cops are not immune to committing this crime. Seven LAPD officers were arrested for drunk driving in December of last year. A cop who drank a fifth of vodka and then drove to the gun range was put back on the force in Jacksonville, Florida after his firing was deemed “unjust.”
Watch French unsuccessfully try to convince Skinner to turn off his camera here: