Broken Arrow police chief on leave as open records request shows city corrects warrantless entry guidance

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow City Manager Michael Spurgeon placed Police Chief Lance Arnold on paid administrative leave on October 14 pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

"It's regarding decisions that have been made in the police department. And so what I decided to do is to conduct an investigation," Spurgeon said.

Spurgeon did not say what decisions were at the heart of the investigation, but documents obtained through an open records request by 2 News Oklahoma shine a light on the concerns.

In March, Chief Arnold sent an email to all police personnel addressing a case where officers made an arrest inside a residence. He noted the arrest conflicted with department policy and a U.S. Supreme Court precedent — Payton v. New York — which governs warrantless home entries.

Arnold described the legal conflict as a "technicality" and indicated the incident reflected a training failure rather than a disciplinary matter. City officials later determined that framing risked implying that policy violations involving warrantless entries could be excused.

The documents reveal that while Chief Arnold is still on leave, Acting Chief Scott Bennett issued a special directive rescinding Arnold's email. His action came after a review by the city's legal department and city management.

Under Bennett's directive, officers may not enter a dwelling to make an arrest unless they have one of the following:

• A valid warrant
• Voluntary, valid consent from an occupant
• Exigent circumstances, defined as imminent danger, destruction of evidence, or escape during a fresh pursuit

The directive also states that probable cause alone — even in felony cases including domestic violence — is not sufficient legal ground for entry.

It also clarifies that a suspect's refusal to exit a residence does not constitute consent or an exigent circumstance, and officers are required to notify supervisors and document any warrantless entries with specific legal justifications.

All sworn personnel were required to complete training on the updated standards within 30 days. Additionally, any future police guidance or legal interpretation communications must be reviewed by the city's legal department before being distributed to officers.

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