Broken Arrow Police Chief Silenced by City Order Before Press Briefing

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is home to a long-standing police department that has recently faced internal scrutiny. On Wednesday, Police Chief Lance Arnold arrived at a news conference to speak as a private citizen about his recent administrative leave. Before he could answer questions, his legal team revealed that the city had sent a letter ordering him to stop all public comments.

D. Mitchell Garrett Jr., one of Arnold's attorneys, read the directive to reporters. The letter instructed Arnold to make no further statements personally or through others for the remainder of his leave. Garrett argued that while the city controls its employees, it does not control his actions as an attorney. He noted that the order effectively bars the chief from explaining his situation to the public or the press.

Arnold did make a short statement before the silence order took full effect. He said his wife and two sons learned about his leave from media reports before he could tell them in person. He expressed a desire for a fair investigation and promised to cooperate fully. Arnold stated that he will attend the city's interview, answer questions, and preserve all records the city has requested.

The legal team noted that the city has not disclosed the specific accusations against the chief. They also pointed out that open records requests filed by the law firm and several news agencies remain unanswered. Garrett said the city has released an email package to one media outlet but has not posted it online for general access. The attorneys are asking the city to make the documents available to all parties.

In a statement on Monday, Garrett said Arnold acknowledged a policy violation in a March email. The attorney said Arnold accepted ultimate responsibility for the issue. He added that the department subsequently retrained officers on warrantless arrests and entries. Garrett emphasized that the city has not provided further details on the policies involved in the case.

City officials told 2 News Oklahoma that they have no comment because the investigation is ongoing. The next step in the process is a scheduled interview between the chief and city representatives, where Arnold expects to answer questions about the allegations.