Broken Arrow, Okla. – Police Chief Lance Arnold was placed on paid leave on Oct. 14 after city officials determined that a warrantless arrest made during a felony domestic‑violence incident conflicted with the department’s OPS 120 policy. Arnold’s attorney, D. Mitchell Garrett Jr., told reporters Monday that the department has already retrained the involved officers and that the training received approval from the city’s legal department.
Dispute over policy and procedure
Emails obtained by local media show a disagreement between Arnold and city administrators over his handling of the March arrest. Two BAPD officers entered a home’s threshold and detained a suspect without a warrant, an action Arnold later acknowledged violated OPS 120, which governs searches, seizures and warrantless arrests. In an internal email titled “Mindset and Culture Shift about Policy and Procedures,” Arnold wrote that he believed most officers would have acted similarly, but admitted the department’s policy and practice were not aligned.
Arnold argued the incident reflected a training failure rather than individual misconduct, stating, “In this particular instance, our policy and our practice were not aligned… Ultimately, ME.” He emphasized that the department would use logic to assess decision‑making and give officers the benefit of the doubt while still holding them accountable.
City manager’s response
City Manager Michael Spurgeon and other administrators disagreed with Arnold’s assessment. On the same day Arnold was placed on leave, Spurgeon directed Acting Police Chief Scott Bennett to issue a memo rescinding Arnold’s email and reaffirming that OPS 120 remains the binding policy. Spurgeon warned that leaving Arnold’s message unanswered would undermine the policy, leave officers without clear guidance, and make the city appear to accept conduct prohibited by its own rules.
Bennett’s directive rejected any suggestion that compliance with policy or the Fourth Amendment was a “technicality.” The memo reinforced that officers must follow OPS 120 in all warrantless situations.
Attorney’s clarification and next steps
Garrett clarified that Arnold never used the word “technicality” when discussing city policy, contrary to Spurgeon’s implication. He also confirmed that after the review, the department retrained its officers on warrantless arrests and entries, with the city’s legal department present and a city attorney attending the training session.
Garrett said Arnold will attend an upcoming interview with city officials and answer questions about the investigation. He noted that the city has declined to release further details about the allegations or the specific policies at issue, and that Arnold’s lawyer will not be permitted to attend the interview.
“A fair process tells the person being investigated what he is answering for,” Garrett said. “Chief Arnold agrees that officers deserve clear direction on the Fourth Amendment. That is why he had them retrained. Out of respect for the people involved, he will not discuss the arrest itself. He looks forward to a fair investigation and to getting back to work.”
Implications for Broken Arrow policing
The episode highlights the challenges municipal police departments face in aligning internal policies with evolving legal standards. By reverting to OPS 120 and conducting targeted training, Broken Arrow officials aim to ensure that future arrests comply with both city guidelines and constitutional protections. The city’s swift action to rescind the chief’s internal memo and to place Arnold on leave underscores a commitment to accountability and clear procedural guidance for its officers.
Original reporting: Broken Arrow Sentinel — read the source article.
