What This Story Is About
- A WSMV4 investigation reveals that 41 DUI arrests made by a single Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper in Bedford County were dismissed, with 22 of those cases involving sober drivers who had no alcohol or drugs in their system or were within legal limits.
Why It Matters
- The pattern suggests systemic problems with DUI enforcement that could affect anyone. As attorney David McKenzie noted, “This could happen to your child. This could happen to your parent. This could happen to your coworker.”
- Trooper Asa Pearl resigned from the Tennessee Highway Patrol in 2024 with no reason given, and neither Pearl nor the THP responded to requests for comment about the dismissals.
For Context
- The dismissed DUI cases occurred between 2021 and 2024 in Bedford County. The information was uncovered through open records requests with the Bedford County Clerk and a spreadsheet compiled by the Bedford County District Attorney’s office. No mention of the dismissed cases appeared in Pearl’s personnel file.
BEDFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WSMV) – Forty-one DUI arrests made by a single Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper in Bedford County have been dismissed, with 22 of those cases involving drivers who had no alcohol or drugs in their system or were within legal limits.
The dismissed cases all involved arrests made by former Trooper Asa Pearl between 2021 and 2024, according to records obtained from the Bedford County Clerk’s office.
Ron LaFlamme was among those arrested by Pearl for DUI, despite having no substances in his system…