DA offers deferred prosecution to Stitt's son after deputies find him drunk with guns

GUTHRIE — Following a Halloween incident in Guthrie, the Logan County Sheriff's Office recommended that a charge be filed against the governor's son for possessing alcohol as a minor, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Oklahoman.

On Monday, District Attorney Laura Thomas confirmed she had received the affidavit but decided to offer Stitt and those with him a deferred prosecution program, which involves community service and other requirements in order to avoid a charge and criminal record.

Letters with the offer were sent out last week before media reports surfaced about the incident, Thomas said.

"Whether his last name was Stitt or Hofmeister doesn't matter to me," said Thomas, referring to Gov. Kevin Stitt and his Democratic challenger, Joy Hofmeister, whom he beat in a Nov. 8 election.

On Oct. 31 sheriff deputies were called to a Guthrie haunted house where John Drew Stitt, the governor's 20-year-old son, was intoxicated and in possession of firearms.

First reported on Friday, the incident raised questions about why neither John Drew Stitt nor those with him were arrested or cited. An officer with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which provides security for the governor and his family, came to the scene and escorted Stitt's party to Stillwater after ensuring there was someone able to drive.

Sheriff Damon Devereaux said no special treatment was given to Stitt and he stood by his deputy's actions.

More:Gov. Kevin Stitt's firearm was found with his intoxicated underage son. No charges filed

“People are talking about this being swept under the rug, but we did a fully detailed report that day and submitted an affidavit to the district attorney's office for charges,” Devereaux told The Oklahoman Monday morning.

At the time of the interview, Devereaux said he wasn't sure why the district attorney had not filed charges.

Later in the day, The Oklahoman told Devereaux about the deferred prosecution offer, which had just been reported.

"That doesn't surprise me when there isn't a prior record. That's typical," Devereaux said.

The governor's office did not respond to a request for comment.

'My dad is the governor'

Deputies were responding to a call about “found firearms” in a haunted house parking lot when they found a box with two rifles and two pistols, according to an incident report. Stitt told a sheriff's deputy the box belonged to him and one of the firearms belonged to his father.

He also acknowledged that he was intoxicated on alcohol, according to the report.

Stitt told deputies he was riding in a black truck, where alcohol and another firearm were found.

"To be honest, my dad is the governor," Stitt told the deputy, according to body camera video reviewed by The Oklahoman.

"I don't care," said Deputy Katlin Long, who responded to the call.

Long later called a supervisor and said Stitt had originally claimed he wasn't drinking.

"I’m pretty upset right now. He was trying to say he wasn't intoxicated, but I could tell from his pupils that he is really intoxicated. I could smell him and he is slurring his words," Long said, according to her body camera video.

Devereaux, the Logan County sheriff, told The Oklahoman he was proud of the way Long handled the call.

"She's one of my best," Devereaux said.

State trooper escorted Stitt to Stillwater

Long told Stitt to call his parents and ask them to come to retrieve the guns.

When Stitt got his mother on the phone, he said someone had removed the guns from his truck.

"I'm with a deputy right now. Someone stole my gun case out of my truck while I was at a haunted house in Guthrie," Stitt told his mother, according to body camera video.

Long, the responding deputy, was handed the phone and told Stitt's mother she wanted her to come get the firearms.

"Your son is intoxicated. Is there any way you can come pick up these firearms?" Long asked.

Stitt's mother sent a member of her security detail to retrieve the guns.

"She was like, 'I’ll just send a trooper,'" Long told a colleague.

When the state trooper arrived, Long told him what was going on.

"His dad needs to know about that kind of (stuff)," the trooper said, according to the body camera video.

The trooper followed Stitt's truck to Stillwater where Stitt attends college at Oklahoma State University. The person allowed to drive the truck had not been drinking, according to the incident report.

Later that evening, the sheriff's office filed an affidavit with the District Court of Logan County, which recommended charging Stitt with possession of an intoxicating beverage while under the age of 21.

Thomas, the Logan County district attorney, told The Oklahoman she had not yet heard back from Stitt or those with him on whether they would accept the deferred prosecution offer.

"I have not heard from any of these kids' parents or their attorneys, but I imagine they are just now getting the letters," Thomas said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Sheriff recommended charges against Kevin Stitt son in Oct. incident