Watch officer repeatedly refuse captain during DUI arrest: 'I'm not turning my camera off'

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Sometimes police have to arrest one of their own. That happened last weekend in Oklahoma City andThursday, the department released bodycam video of the incident lasting more than nine minutes.

Capt. James "Matt" French was pulled over for driving under the influence early Sunday morning.

According to the police report, officers saw him swerving and speeding in an unmarked, city-owned SUV.

An officer caught up to the vehicle when it pulled into a private driveway. In the video, French said he and his mother stay at the house.

Then, the bodycam footage shows an officer speaking to French while he's sitting inside the SUV.

When the officer asked French if he'd been drinking, French answered by saying "I'm a captain on the police department." Then, he clarified he's with Oklahoma City Police Department, specifically the Investigations Bureau.

French was asked again if he had been drinking, and the captain hesitated and leaned back in his seat.

The officer asked French how much he drank. French motioned to his chest and whispered to the officer, asking him to turn off his camera.

The officer declined.

I'm not turning my camera off," the officer could be heard saying. "You got to be kidding me.

Once he stepped out of his car, French was heard telling the officer he was at a poker game and had three or four beers. He said he drank his last beer at around midnight. That was less than two hours earlier.

The officer asked French if he thought he should be driving and the captain could be heard saying, "No, but I came from four blocks."

Later, French went through various field sobriety tests. He stumbling on the first attempt and again asked the officer to turn his camera off.

Sir, can you turn that off?" French asked the officer.

"I cannot sir," the officer responded.

Please," French pleaded.

"I know you are aware of our bodycam policy," the officer told French. "You know I cannot turn off this bodycam."

I, I do, but I’d like to talk to you" French said to the officer.

"I can't do that, sir," the officer responded.

Please," French continued. "Please. I’d like to talk to you.

"Are you going to do the tests or not?" the officer asked.

Will you please talk to me?" French asked again. "You can turn it off and turn it on," French said in regard to the officer's bodycam.

"I can turn it off once I’m done with my investigation," the officer answered.

OK. I’m asking you. I’m a captain with the police department," French continued to plead.

"I understand that, sir," the officer told French. "I'm a sergeant and I've taken an oath to uphold the law. I don't show favoritism to anyone regardless. I don't care if you're a gang banger or the President of the United States."

Sir, I’m not asking for that," French said.

"If I were to treat you differently than I was to treat like some south side loco or some pedo how’s that look on me?” the officer asked.

The officer again asked French if he would do the tests, and French said he would do "whatever you ask."

The officer told French again that he'll turn off his camera once he was done with his investigation.

French was seen continuing to struggle with the field sobriety tests and he continued to unsuccessfully beg the officer to turn his camera off.

French was ultimately taken into custody and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center. He has since bonded out.

Police Chief Wade Gourley praised the responding officer for following the department's body-camera protocol.

"The officer did exactly as he should have, and handled it very professionally in my opinion. As far as how the officer responded, he did exactly as he should have," Gourley said. "Our policies of our body camera, there's certain types of calls that the body cameras are required to be on, and traffic stops are one of those. So the officer told him, you know, "I can't turn the camera off." As to why Captain French was saying that, I can only make assumptions, but the officer did exactly as he should have by not turning the camera off."

Gourley said French has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

"As soon as we were notified of the incident, he was placed on administrative leave with pay," Gourley said. "We do have a process that when criminal charges are filed, per our FOP contract, we do what is called a pre-determination hearing to then put that person on leave without pay, because again it's a criminal matter. So we can put him on leave without pay, but there's a process we have to go through to do that."

French has been with the department for 32 years.

According to the department, the investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.