SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday defended his state police chief who got out of a speeding ticket after showing his Department of Public Safety identification to the sheriff's deputy who pulled him over.
Ducey said that Col. Frank Milstead is "one of the good guys," and "even good guys make mistakes."
He said he expects all members of his administration to follow the law, but cast it as a minor transgression.
"Let those without speeding sin cast the first stone here," Ducey told reporters after an event in Scottsdale with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
RELATED: YCSO: DPS Director Frank Milstead pulled over for speeding, gets warning instead of ticket
Milstead said on Twitter Wednesday that the incident in October was regrettable and one "for which I will reflect and learn."
Milstead was observed allegedly driving in excess of 90 mph and weaving through traffic without using his turn signals when he was pulled over on October 12, 2019. He was let off with a warning after showing the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputy his department ID.
"Deputies are allowed discretion whether to cite or warn drivers during a traffic stop. As part of an overall educational effort to encourage safe driving, deputies may elect to warn drivers regarding such violations," YCSO Sheriff Mascher said.
As the top official at DPS, Milstead oversees a force of nearly 1,200 officers, most of whom are assigned to the Arizona Highway Patrol that enforces traffic laws on freeways.
In a traffic safety video in 2017, Milstead said, "the leading factor in injury and fatality collisions is speeding."
