The Oklahoma City Police Department has shown it’s not above calling out one of its own for doing wrong after they released footage of its Captain, James “Matt” French, trying to get out of being arrested for DUI. In the clip, French, who’s been with the force for 32 years, can be seen trying to talk the police officer who stopped him into turning off his body cam and letting him go without incident.
The officer who stopped Captain French suspected the senior officer was under the influence after noticing him swerving in his SUV and failing to signal, and he wanted French to do a field sobriety test. However, French wasn’t keen on the idea. Instead, he tried to coax the officer into turning off the camera so they could speak privately. The officer refused and instead asked French to get out of his car.
After the officer asked French how much he’d been drinking, French insisted “not much” before saying he’d had three or four beers while playing poker with friends. French then continued to implore the officer to turn off the camera but was unsuccessful.
Captain James French thought he was above the law, but he was wrong.
“I don’t show favoritism to anyone, regardless,” the officer told French. “I don’t care if you’re a gang banger or the President of the United States… If I were to treat you differently than I was to treat like, some southside loco or some pedo, how’s that look on me?”
French eventually took the sobriety test and failed as he lost his balance on several occasions. He was then cuffed and put into the back of the patrol car before being taken down to the station and booked in for DUI. It’s unclear if he was released immediately or had to post bail.
Captain James French is now on administrative leave and is said to be facing a criminal investigation, according to a spokesperson for Oklahoma County Detention Center (via NBC News).
