- Tennessee reported 2,547 sober DUI arrests since 2017.
- THP says all arrests were justified by observable behavior.
- Officers cited slurred speech, odor, and failed eye tests.
Over the last year, it’s become clear that citizens in Tennessee have something to worry about. The state’s Highway Patrol has arrested thousands of drivers for DUI, even when tests showed no alcohol or drugs in their system. Now, under mounting scrutiny, the agency is pushing back, defending each of those arrests as justified.
In August of 2025, we reported that THP arrested at least 600 sober people for DUI. At the time, the department acknowledged that the figure was actually 2,547 arrests of sober individuals for DUI since 2017. Clearly, that’s not a great look, but according to THP Colonel Matt Perry, those arrests are justified.
The Patrol’s Standard for Probable Cause…