A Tennessee police officer was involved in a heated confrontation with a state highway patrol trooper after attempting to conduct a traffic stop while the trooper was transporting a local elected official.
The trooper was driving a black SUV carrying Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton when an officer with the Metro Nashville Police Department attempted to pull the vehicle over, alleging it was traveling about 30 miles per hour over the speed limit.
According to the account, the patrol car pulled alongside the SUV in the left lane and ordered it to stop. The trooper eventually complied and pulled over, the UK’s Daily Mail reported.
Another officer was heard over the radio stating that the SUV had refused to stop for them earlier. When the police officer got out of his vehicle, he hollered at the highway patrol officer to “get over here!”
‘I’m highway patrol!’ the trooper responded.
The traffic stop then became physical as the metro officer pushed the trooper and hollered back: “I don’t care who you are!”
“Get your freakin’ hands off me,” the trooper then ordered.
The Metro officer threatened to arrest him, at which point the highway patrol trooper displayed his badge and revealed that he was driving the House Speaker. “If you’re going to run 85mph in a 55mph zone, you’re going to have to yield to police. I don’t care who you are,” said the officer.
The trooper fired back: “I am the police!”
The trooper then said he turned on the vehicle’s blue lights and gave the metro cop his badge number before adding: “I got business to take care of. We got places to go.”
“We’re going to see about that, my friend,” the metro officer said before returning to his patrol vehicle.
The incident occurred in October. In the weeks that followed, Cameron Sexton’s chief of staff, Kevin Johnson, filed a citizen complaint against the Metro officer involved.
In a statement to local CBS affiliate WKRN, Sexton’s office described the officer’s actions as “overzealous.”
The office also defended the Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, saying no traffic laws were violated prior to the confrontation.
In the statement, Sexton’s office said the Metro Nashville police officer acted in an “overly aggressive” manner and placed his hand on the state trooper, actions it said prompted the trooper’s response.
“The THP trooper showed restraint and refrained from escalating the situation further,” said the statement. “‘In the end cooler heads prevailed. We commend THP for their professionalism and dedication to protect and serve.”
An internal investigation by the Metro Nashville Police Department later determined that the officer’s actions were reasonable and did not violate department policy, the Daily Mail noted.
“The Tennessee Highway Patrol maintains a collaborative working relationship with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department built on mutual respect and shared professionalism, and we’re proud of the work our agencies accomplish together to keep Tennesseans safe,” said the THP in a statement to the press.
Scottie Delashmit, president of the Tennessee Fraternal Order of Police, told WKRN that officers providing dignitary protection are still required to follow posted speed limits unless they are operating with emergency lights and sirens activated, said the outlet.
Last month, meanwhile, Trump-backed Republican Matt Van Epps defeated left-wing Democrat Aftyn Behn in a special election in Tennessee.
The president posted on Truth Social, “Congratulations to Matt Van Epps on his BIG Congressional WIN in the Great State of Tennessee. The Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars. Another great night for the Republican Party!!! President DJT”
With 99% of the ballots counted, Van Epps, a war veteran and former state general services commissioner from Nashville, was ahead by 53.9% to 45.1%. The contenders were separated by just over 16,000 votes.