The Oklahoma governor’s son admitted to drinking with gun case in vehicle
John Andrew Stitt, son of Oklahoma’s Gov. Kevin Stitt, was seen in bodycam video interacting with deputies who found a case containing guns belonging to his father that had been in the back of an unlocked vehicle.
Now, the Logan County sheriff is insisting that the younger Stitt, who goes by Drew, may have been treated more harshly than most.
Drew Stitt, 20, was questioned by police officers in the parking lot of a local haunted house he was visiting with friends on Halloween, bodycam footage shows. Police said the gun case had been dragged out of the vehicle.
“To be honest, my dad’s the governor,” Stitt said. Gov. Stitt was re-elected earlier this month.
“I don’t care,” an officer replied.
“No, I know,” Stitt said. “I just like to clarify.”
Drew, who admitted to having drunk alcohol, told the officers the truck and the gun case were his but that he had a designated driver and was not operating the vehicle. The police questioned Stitt about whether he had been smoking marijuana, which he denied.
Bodycam footage shows the police requesting Drew Stitt to call his parents. He was escorted home by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper, who also picked up the guns.
A deputy who responded recommended a charge of minor in possession of alcohol for Stitt to the Logan County District Attorney’s office.
Local law enforcement familiar with the incident, and Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux said it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say Drew Stitt was treated “worse” because of his relation to the governor.
“Sheriff. Really quick. It almost seems then that this young man, the governor’s son, was definitely treated differently in some ways, but not in a positive way because of who he was. Is that fair to say?” asked one reporter in an interview with Devereaux.
“That is fair to say,” Devereaux replied.
“Is that OK on the other end? Because I know you’re being accused of treating him better because he’s the governor’s son. But, did you treat him worse?” the reporter continued.
“Well, in some factors, you could look at it that way,” Devereaux said.
Devereaux defended his officers’ handling of the situation, however, rebuffing public criticism that Drew Stitt got off easy.
“Minor in possession was the only charge we had on this deal because he wasn’t carrying the weapons. He wasn’t using the weapons. He wasn’t driving. He wasn’t causing a disturbance. So, he couldn’t have been arrested for public intoxication,” Devereaux said in a statement.
“And when you watch the bodycam footage, when I watched it, he’s not drunk, you know, like we think of a drunk stumbling, can’t walk, has to hang on to stuff. He appears he may be under the influence, but I don’t think he’s drunk.”