An Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) captain was arrested after other officers suspected him of driving under the influence.
On March 12, Captain James “Matt” French, a member of the OKCPD’s homicide investigation team, was pulled over by Sergeant Chris Skinner. His encounter with fellow police was captured on video.
Sergeant Skinner stopped Captain French around 1:30 a.m. after observing him swerving, speeding, and failing to use turn signals. As the sergeant approached French’s vehicle, the captain opened the car door, prompting Skinner to tell him to get back inside.
Throughout their interaction, French’s eyes appeared watery, and his speech was slurred. The captain informed Skinner that he was also a member of the OKCPD and repeatedly requested him to turn off his body camera.
However, Skinner refused to comply with the captain’s demands. He stated that he took an oath to uphold the law, and that he could not show favoritism.
French eventually admitted to having “three or maybe four beers” while playing poker earlier in the evening. When questioned about the wisdom of driving after drinking, French claimed he had only traveled four blocks before being pulled over.
During a field sobriety test, French struggled to maintain his balance and continued pleading with Skinner to turn off the body camera. Skinner reminded the captain of their department’s body camera policy and reiterated that he could not disable the device.
Despite his protests, French was arrested and taken to the Oklahoma County Detention Center. He is now on administrative leave as he awaits the findings of an internal investigation.