By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle

Republican state Rep. Jim Lucas was cooperative — even joking, at times — with police after he was arrested in May for driving under the influence, new body camera footage shows.

Lucas, of Seymour, pleaded guilty last week to two misdemeanors — operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident — after he struck a guardrail and drove the wrong way on an interstate entrance ramp while intoxicated.

The latest body and dash camera footage obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle from the Indiana State Police captured multiple failed sobriety tests performed by Lucas, who struggled to walk in a straight line or balance himself on one leg. A portable breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at .097 — higher than the .08 legal limit in Indiana.

After he was placed under arrest, Lucas was cooperative and chatty with officers.

“I’m on your side,” he tells state trooper Clayton Saltzman, who offered to loosen the lawmaker’s handcuffs before transporting him to and from the hospital for a blood toxicology test. Per ISP policy, Lucas sat in the passenger seat of the patrol car.

What Happened After The Wreck

At multiple points during the drive from the hospital to the Jackson County Jail — where he was booked in the early morning hours May 31 — Lucas smiled and laughed, including as he explained what happened to his wrecked truck.

As Saltzman listed Lucas’s charges, Lucas asks why he was “nailed” with leaving the scene of an accident.

“I was at the scene – I was walking to get help,” Lucas says, chuckling. “I thought a deer ran out in front of me. How’s that?”

The officer responds, “if that’s what you want to go with.”

During the conversation, a raccoon ran across the road in front of Saltzman’s patrol vehicle, causing him to swerve.

“See … you did swerve … a deer’s bigger, man,” Lucas said.

“I didn’t hit a guardrail, though,” Saltzman replied, smiling.

Lucas at one point asks who has his guns, before delving into politics. Lucas was armed with a gun and a knife, and a second gun was in his vehicle.

“I’m pretty much an absolutist when it comes to the Second Amendment, but also with gun rights and gun responsibilities,” he said, adding that, “I’m as pro-cop as you can get.”

“When you get prosecutors and judges who play catch and release … I’ve talked to enough city and county cops — they know who the troublemakers are,” he continued. “It’s the same (expletive) 2 percent committing all the crimes, and (the anti-gun crowd) uses that to take away the ability of the lawful person to defend themselves.”

Before he walked into the jail, Lucas said “this was obviously a (expletive) up on my part. I own it — pay the price and move on.”

Previous body camera footage released by Seymour police — who interacted with Lucas before ISP arrived — showed the lawmaker misled police by saying repeatedly that he was simply on a walk when found by officers in the middle of the road. Lucas also focused on an officer’s questions about a crashed van, insisting he did not drive that type of vehicle. It was actually a Toyota Tundra.

Later, he tells police there is a Glock with “one in the chamber” in the center console of his truck.

“The law is not a barometer of reality,” Lucas said on the video while wearing a “Grateful Dude” shirt. He then sat in the grass on the side of the road, appearing cooperative, while talking to police for nearly 30 minutes about a variety of topics, including social media, Hunter Biden, firearms, knives, Anne Frank, the weather and the law enforcement profession.

Consequences For Lucas

Lucas received a 60-day suspended sentence on the OWI charge, and a 180-day suspended sentence for leaving the scene.

As part of his plea agreement, he will spend one year on probation — although that could end in as few as six months once he pays court and probation fees, completes an alcohol and drug program, and pays nearly $4,000 for crash repairs and restitution to the Indiana Department of Transportation. He faces substance abuse screenings and must attend a victim impact panel, too.

Lucas faces jail time if he violates probation.

His driver’s license is additionally suspended for 60 days, but Jackson County Superior Court Judge Bruce A. MacTavish granted Lucas specialized driving privileges in eight Indiana counties “for the sole purpose of conducting business” for the lawmaker’s Seymour-based company, The Awning Guy, Inc., between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to an order issued Monday.

There were no exemptions for legislative-related travel, though the General Assembly is not in session.

GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb emphasized earlier this month that it’s up to the General Assembly to decide whether Lucas should continue to serve as a legislator or face other repercussions, separate from any criminal penalties.

Afterwards, Indiana’s GOP House Speaker Todd Huston said he hopes Rep. Jim Lucas gets “the help that he needs and makes sure that situation doesn’t happen again.”

Asked if Lucas may face disciplinary action by the legislature, Huston said he’s “obviously disappointed” but that he hadn’t even read the plea agreement yet.

“I haven’t had really a chance to talk to him,” Huston said. “I’ll take a look at it and see what we do moving forward.”

Lucas represents District 69 in Indiana, which covers portions of Jackson, Bartholomew, Scott and Washington counties. Jackson County is roughly 70 miles south of downtown Indianapolis.

He was first elected in 2012 and most recently championed House Bill 1177 during the 2023 legislative session. The measure creates a state-funded gun training program for school staff.