Zach Bryan tells Oklahoma officer he's making a 'mistake' by keeping him in handcuffs
Zach Bryan heated encounter with an Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer seen on dash camera.
Zach Bryan has had quite an eventful month so far.
Last week, the country singer was arrested for obstruction of investigation during a traffic stop in rural Oklahoma. He quickly offered a public apology for his behavior, both to his fans and to the police officers that dealt with him, and now the National Police Association tells Fox News Digital that officers everywhere are impressed.
"When the report of his arrest and then of course the video came out, he said some really harsh things," Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association, said. "Then he very quickly came out with that apology that, you know, seemed to us to be… a very sincere, heartfelt apology."
ZACH BRYAN GETS HEATED WITH ARRESTING OKLAHOMA OFFICER IN DASHCAM VIDEO
Zach Bryan was arrested for obstruction of investigation in Oklahoma. (Erika Goldring/WireImage)
Smith continued, "And this is the thing: people say and do stupid things. But he displayed a lot of contrition and as law enforcement we don't often see that, especially from celebrities… he had some harsh language and things and as law enforcement, we're used to hearing that kind of language. And, you know, people get angry at us when they get arrested. But coming out with that apology is something that I can't, off the top of my head, come up with another celebrity who's done it that quickly and that sincerely after having a negative experience with law enforcement."
Bryan was arrested after stopping behind his security guard when he was pulled over by police. After waiting for several minutes for the situation to resolve, he stepped out of his car to smoke a cigarette. When the officer told him to get back in his car, he took issue with that.
WATCH: ZACH BRYAN TELLS OKLAHOMA OFFICER HE'S MAKING A ‘MISTAKE’ BY KEEPING HIM IN HANDCUFFS
In dashcam footage obtained by Fox News Digital, Bryan was seen sitting in a police cruiser, complaining about how uncomfortable his handcuffs were. He was visibly upset, and was heard saying, "F---ing cops are out of hand, truly."
ZACH BRYAN GIVES FULL EXPLANATION ON ARREST: ‘I WAS AN IDIOT’
In a series of videos he shared to his Instagram story shortly after being released from jail, he apologized profusely, explaining the situation in full and admitting that he'd been an "idiot" and a "dumba--."
After posting the videos, Bryan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "To be clear in the video I posted, I’m not trying to save face or act like the good guy, I was a complete spoiled a--hole to these police officers and I’ll spend the next few weeks trying my best to right my wrongs and take back what I said."
His post continued, "I do respect police officers and I made a massive mistake. I am embarrassed for myself, my family and the people I love but all I can do now in sincerely apologize."
County music singer Zach Bryan was arrested and booked at Craig County Jail in Oklahoma. (CRAIG COUNTY JAIL)
As Smith explained, "When you look at the interaction, even when he's angry he's calling the trooper ‘sir.’"
Smith said that she spoke to a number of fellow officers about the incident: "And they say, 'We're glad you spoke out, Sarge, because what often happens in these situations is not only do they get angry, but then they fight us or they run away or they, you know, create other chaos. Zach mouthed off, he said inappropriate things, but he complied with the officer's lawful orders. And then he came right out with that apology."
Representatives for Bryan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Zach Bryan is an up-and-coming country star. (Michael Hickey)
While she told Fox News Digital that it's not uncommon for offenders to later apologize to their arresting officers, Smith added, "For the last three years, law enforcement has been vilified and demonized and a lot of people feel almost empowered to refuse to comply with law enforcement.
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"And the National Police Association, the organization that I'm the spokesman for, we actually produced a public service announcement called ‘Comply Now, Complain Later,’ because what we were seeing were people just fighting police officers who are doing lawful enforcement activity. And it can end very badly."
Zach Bryan called himself an "idiot" for how he behaved during his arrest. (Getty Images)
When asked about the divide between Bryan's fans — some have also applauded him for his apology, while others have condemned him for standing up for police — Smith explained, "Well, he committed a crime. He got arrested for obstructing… just because you're a celebrity doesn't mean we're not going to handcuff you. You know, we treat everyone the same. And that's what the police officers in Oklahoma did.
Zach Bryan has been commended by police officers for his behavior after his arrest. (Barry Brecheisen/WireImage)
"But there's a real divide in the country music world between pro-law enforcement people, if you will… there have been celebrities like George Strait who wrote and recorded a song called ‘The Weight of the Badge.’ And Jason Aldean, you know, ‘Try That in a Small Town,’ that it's a very pro-law enforcement song, it's a very pro-police song. And he spoke out against the riots. There are other country music stars like Maren Morris, who, you know, is, she's extremely woke."
In a final statement about Bryan, Smith said, "I hope he uses this opportunity to use [his] celebrity to help support the American law enforcement officer and law enforcement charities like the National Police Association and the Wounded Blue and the Law Enforcement Officer Legal Defense Fund and things like that. There's a lot of good law enforcement charities out there, and I hope that he uses this opportunity to continue to show contrition and support the American law enforcement officer."
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