Last Updated on March 16, 2023, 4:34 PM | Published: March 16, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — Thursday, the Oklahoma City Police Department released arrest video footage of the night their own Captain James French was arrested and booked on a complaint of driving under the influence (DUI).
In the video, French identifies himself early in the encounter identifying himself as a police captain with the Oklahoma City Police Department.
He also can be heard several times asking the officer who stopped him to turn off his body camera “so we can talk.” But the officer did not and explained that he was not allowed to under departmental policy.
The arresting officer can be seen giving French a field sobriety test which shows clearly that French was not able to perform the movements the arresting officer was telling him to perform.
After French was given the field sobriety test, he was placed under arrest and taken to the Oklahoma County Detention Center where he was booked on a complaint of DUI.
In a news conference Thursday, Chief Wade Gourley said that the arresting officer handled the encounter the way he was supposed to. Gourley also confirmed that at the end of the video when French was placed in custody and handcuffed it was permissible for the officer to turn off his body camera which is what he did.
In response to questions from the media about French repeatedly asking the officer to turn off his body camera and break policy, Gourley said that he didn’t understand why French said that noting that French knew better.
Arresting officer’s body camera video
Note: As of publication, the information provided by the OKCPD has not yet been tested in court. Under the law, all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty before a jury of their peers or a plea of guilt.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
