‘Turn the camera off’: Oklahoma City police captain asks officer to turn off bodycam during DUI stop

‘Are you going to arrest me, sir?’ the captain asks. ‘Yes, I am,’ the officer replies.

Recently released bodycam footage shows an Oklahoma City police captain asking an officer to turn off his body camera during a DUI stop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sunday.

The captain, identified by NBC affiliate KFOR as James “Matt” French, was allegedly swerving and speeding while driving a city-issued vehicle.

Footage shows French telling the officer he is a captain with the Oklahoma City Police Department before requesting that the officer turn his body camera off numerous times.

The officer doesn’t waver, telling French he will not turn his camera off.

“I don’t care if you’re a gang banger or the President of the United States,” he says.

After being denied, French agreed to a field sobriety test which he didn’t pass.

According to KFOR, French is on leave with pay as the department conducts a criminal investigation and a subsequent administrative investigation.

Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley said the arresting officer did everything by the book.

“The officer did exactly as he should have and handled it very professionally,” Gourley said.

Watch video of the arrest below.


About the Author:

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.