Broken Arrow police chief speaks despite city letter ordering silence

Broken Arrow Police Chief Lance Arnold addressed reporters on October 29 to discuss his placement on administrative leave, doing so in his capacity as a private citizen. His legal team stated that Arnold received a letter from the city prior to this appearance, instructing him to make no further statements personally or through others for the remainder of his leave.

Attorney D. Mitchell Garrett Jr. challenged the scope of that directive during the press conference. He argued that while the city could instruct its employees on permitted actions, it could not dictate the conduct of his client’s legal team. "I'm going to tell you, they can tell their employees what they can do. They cannot tell me what they can do," Garrett said.

Arnold explained that his family learned of his leave through media coverage before he could inform them directly. "My wife and my two sons read it on their phone before I could even get home and tell her myself," he said. He stated that he intends to cooperate fully with the city's investigation.

The chief said he will attend the city’s interview and answer its questions. He confirmed that he has preserved all materials the city requested and will follow the specific directions provided during his leave. "I want a fair investigation and I intend to cooperate with it," Arnold said.

Arnold’s attorneys noted that the city has not disclosed the specific accusations against the chief. They also pointed out that open records requests from their firm and several news organizations, including KJRH, remain unfulfilled. Garrett said many parties have requested an email package related to the matter, which has been released to one media outlet.

Garrett stated that his side has asked the city to post the email package on its website and provide it to all other outlets. In a statement issued on Monday, Garrett said Arnold acknowledged a policy violation in a March email and accepted ultimate responsibility for it. He added that the department subsequently retrained officers on warrantless arrests and entries, though the city has not provided further details on the allegations.

Broken Arrow city officials told KJRH 2 News on October 29 that they had no comment because the investigation is ongoing.