Lawton City Councilman Jay Burk is out on bond after pleading not guilty to driving under the influence, a charge which resulted in Burk’s arrest Saturday night in Lawton.
Burk was arrested by Lawton police shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, when officers observed him driving a gray Ford F-150 erratically on N.W. Cache Road. Burk was pulled over by police and subsequently failed a series of field sobriety tests. When asked by police, the Lawton councilman refused to take a breathalyzer test.
According to a Lawton Police Department report, during the traffic stop, Burk initially presented officers with a “bank card” he mistook for his Oklahoma Driver License. When asked for proof of insurance, the report states Burk spent a brief period trying to read the document, which officers observed him to be holding upside down, before complying with the officer’s request.
Officers report Burk’s speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet, and they could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from Burk’s vehicle. Officers report observing several passengers in Burk’s vehicle with “bar stamps” on their hands.
Burk was cited for driving under the influence and taken by police to the Comanche County Detention Center, where he bonded out on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond. Burk appeared in Comanche County District Court Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge. He is next scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 23.
Southwest Ledger has requested copies of the body and dash cam footage from the incident. We will report on the information contained in the footage once we receive and review the films.