An Oklahoma City police captain pulled over for suspected drunk driving earlier this month was caught on video begging the arresting officer to show off his physique digital camera in recently-release footage.
Captain James “Matt” French was arrested on March 17 after fellow Oklahoma City police officer Sgt. Chris Skinner noticed French swerving and failing to make use of his flip indicators in visitors in his private SUV. Skinner confronted French within the captain’s driveway.
The total interplay 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 will get again in his SUV and once more tells Skinner that he’s with town’s police division. He then whispers to Skinner: “Turn your camera off.”
Skinner refused the request and asks French to exit the automobile.
French says on the video that he was at a poker sport and had three or 4 beers. Skinner asks French if he thinks he ought to have been driving.
“No, but I came from four blocks,” the captain responds.
Skinner instructs French to carry one leg and depend till he’s informed to cease. When French loses his stability he once more asks the officer to show his digital 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 will get again in his SUV and once more tells Skinner that he’s with town’s police division. He then whispers to Skinner: “Turn your camera off.”
French now faces each an administrative investigation in addition to a prison inquiry into his actions.
French has been on the Oklahoma police drive for 32 years, so he positively ought to know the division’s insurance policies on physique cameras. He must also know that drunk driving solely 4 blocks is nonetheless drunk driving. Breaking the regulation just a little bit remains to be breaking the regulation. Especially contemplating that automobile crashes requiring emergency room visits usually occur inside 10 miles of house.
G/O Media could get a fee
Drunk driving is a horribly harmful crime that may result in tragedy. Despite coping with drunk drivers and their outcomes, cops are usually not resistant to committing this crime. Seven LAPD officers have been arrested for drunk driving in December of final yr. A cop who drank a fifth of vodka after which drove to the gun vary was put again on the drive in Jacksonville, Florida after his firing was deemed “unjust.”
Watch French unsuccessfully attempt to persuade Skinner to show off his digital camera right here:
Source: jalopnik.com