Zach Bryan speaks out after arrest in Oklahoma: “I was just an idiot”

Country star Zach Bryan was arrested in Oklahoma on a charge of “obstruction of investigation” on Thursday night (9/7), and booked into Craig County Jail, where he was later released on bond. He addressed the incident on social media, writing, “Today I had an incident with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Emotions got the best of me and I was out of line in the things I said. I support law enforcement as much as anyone can, I was just frustrated in the moment, it was unlike me and I apologize. They brought me to jail, and there is a mug shot of me floating around. Prayers we can all move on from this and prayers people know I’m just trying the best I can, I love you guys and I am truly sorry to the officers.”

Early on Friday morning, Bryan spoke more about the incident in a video on social media. “I just wanted to be completely transparent with everyone who listens to my music about what happened with me getting arrested and everything,” he said. “I want to start by saying I had to deal with the legalities of it, I did go to jail, they didn’t play favorites, and I was an idiot today. My decisions did not reflect who I was as a person — I just want to make that clear. I should’ve been smarter about it.”

Bryan continued that he’d been pulled over three days ago while driving “4-5 [miles] over” the speed limit in Oklahoma. When the officer asked for his license, registration and address, he said he didn’t “really feel comfortable” giving his address as a popular musician. “‘He said if I didn’t give him my address he would take me to jail,’ Bryan continued. “And I’m like, ‘Man, I’m not giving you my address.’ So he tells me to step out of the vehicle, he puts handcuffs on me, and I’m like, ‘Man what the hell is going on? Why are you doing this?'” Bryan said the officer eventually let him go with a warning once he agreed to give his address and “started respecting him.”

The next day, Bryan says he told his security guard he was driving to Boston to to see the Philadelphia Eagles play the New England Patriots. They left, with his guard driving behind him in his own car, but Bryan says his guard was pulled over 40 minutes from his home in Tulsa. Bryan says he parked his car nearby to wait, but after 15 minutes, wondered what was taking so long and got out of his car. “I was gonna smoke a cigarette [and] the cop comes up to me and he’s like, ‘sir, get back in your vehicle,'” he said. “And I’m like, ‘I’m not the one getting pulled over.'”

Bryan said the cop told him he’d go to jail if he didn’t get back in his car. “And like a dumbass, I was like, ‘Take me to f–king jail? What do you mean?,'” he continued. “So I get too lippy with him, he brings me over to his car, and I just didn’t help my situation at all. I felt like a child, it was ridiculous and immature. I just pray everyone knows I don’t think I’m above the law. I was just being disrespectful and I shouldn’t have been. It was my mistake.”

Bryan was cuffed and put in the front seat of the cop car, where after complaining about how tight the handcuffs were, he said he began getting “more angry and angry.” He said he was “mouthing off, like an idiot. Like an actual child. I’m like, ‘man, someone’s gotta get a hold of you guys. Why are you using your authority like this? This is so wrong.’ When in reality they were just doing their jobs. I was upset.”

Bryan continued that he was “in jail for a few hours,” saying, “When I got there I kind of lightened up because I cooled off. Everyone was super kind. I was in my jail cell for a while.”

“I was just an idiot and I’ll take the fall for it,” he continued. “I’m a grown man and I shouldn’t have behaved like that. And it won’t happen again.”