Video footage shows Captain James French asking another Oklahoma City police officer to turn off his body camera after he was pulled over earlier this week for drunk driving.
The recording, released Thursday by Oklahoma City police, shows French slurring and stumbling as he is questioned outside his Oklahoma residence. Police say he was swerving while driving on the highway, TMZ reports.
During the encounter, French can be heard identifying himself as a police captain and asking the officer several times to turn off your body camera. He even says “please” and asks quietly, sometimes trying to whisper it to the arresting officer.
“I know you’re aware of our body camera policy, you know I can’t turn this body camera off,” the officer replies, to which French replies, “Yes.”
After repeated attempts, the officer tires and tells French, “I don’t play favorites with anyone. I don’t care if you’re a gang member or the president of the United States.”
French eventually explained that he had consumed three or four beers that night at a poker game, and that he had drunk his last beer approximately two hours before he was pulled over.
The incident ended when the police captain was handcuffed and taken to the county jail on DUI charges. He has since been released after posting bail.
Wade Gourley, the Oklahoma City Police Chief, later praised the officer for adhering to department protocols and following proper procedure.
Gourley also said that French has been temporarily placed on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation into the matter.
