[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6712269,"mediaKeyId","5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281","parentId",5419101,"title","Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper decertified after hearing over trainee supervision and handling of DUI stop","audioSeconds",1834,"startMs",2614000,"endMs",4448000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281&start=2614&end=4448","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281/thumbnail_2614000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6712269/Tennessee/Tennessee-Highway-Patrol-trooper-decertified-after-hearing-over-trainee-supervision-and-handling-of-DUI-stop","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6712269-a8f6250e320ad003fd21b9c621ac41ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1777268758&Signature=HfWss4gHpDGgzRxaUgHI6tqGwLPj~~2Kx3HJBgnsHCSZTGwwuz8TNSm5berXm57uU5buSI~aYJI8D0Xct5gYUGFebWbRTqU014DLr~St9JHVhkvK4SZ51WGsORRUaaMLSz30SCkCd9BtG5WBnRqoSrW90Qm6Qilnv7~Lh5Cbdhk~ASKRpJ1fi5ThhMj8aZb-3ZapLyBs-zQ6JIyKmNhhQGdGlda4bJBuyjf3IuWiABpiYKtiwQVwq64u32tI1Dmp2xPkc5y5NeialPHUvZlVPx9r6iNEpOx~e1pZi8IV1JEcJnJlKmmXGGjMTETymNuCrvTlYiUmVR8yzmQ1wixHUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Commerce & Insurance","date","2025-07-17T20:39:48.387Z","article","The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission voted to decertify former trooper Ronald Dennis Davis after a lengthy hearing examining his conduct during a traffic stop and the supervision of a trainee.

Agency investigators described a June incident in which Davis and a trainee stopped a speeding vehicle. Investigators said the trainee conducted initial contact but that Davis re-engaged with the driver, later muted his body-worn camera while speaking to a fellow trooper, and discussed allowing a family member to transport the driver to avoid a second DUI arrest the same night. The investigator said the trainee was instructed to pause testing and that the driver briefly left the scene; TBI later recorded a 0.269 blood-alcohol concentration for that driver. The district attorney later declined prosecution, and the criminal case was nulled, investigators said, citing the circumstances around the stop.

Davis and his attorney, Maron McAllister, disputed central allegations and urged the commission to consider the totality of the encounter, Davis's 13-year tenure as a training officer and drug-recognition expert, and the chaotic on-scene conditions involving multiple units and supervisors. Davis acknowledged he did not immediately restart his body-worn camera after a side conversation and said he regretted any lapse in custody when the driver left the scene.

Commissioners pressed Davis on several points, including whether he instructed the trainee to release the driver, whether he observed the driver leave with a relative, and whether his actions created an officer-safety problem. Commissioners expressed concern about a lapse of judgment and whether Davis\u0000s conduct undercut trainee supervision and public safety.

After deliberation, commissioners made and carried a motion to approve decertification. The commission recorded the vote and instructed investigators to advise the respondent of next procedural steps and appeal rights.

Quotes from the hearing

\"I never told him at any given time to allow that driver to get in the vehicle with anyone,\" Ronald Davis said when asked whether he had instructed his trainee to release the driver.

Davis\u0000s attorney Maron McAllister said: \"His 13 year career shows that he's never done that, never been accused of doing that, and didn't do that on this night.\"

Why this matters

Commissioners cited supervisory responsibility and officer-safety lapses in reaching their decision. The case highlights how decisions made in the field\u0000during high-tempo overnight operations\u0000can produce both criminal-court consequences and administrative action affecting certification. Decertification removes a credential that can bar future peace-officer employment in Tennessee.

Next steps

Investigative staff will provide written notice of the commission\u0000s decision and information on any available appeal processes and timelines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TN POST Commission Informal Hearing July 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The POST Commission voted to decertify Trooper Ronald Dennis Davis following a contested hearing that examined his supervision of a trainee, muted body-worn camera activity, and decisions made during a DUI traffic stop that the TBI later measured at a 0.269 BAC.","taxTitle","Commerce & Insurance, Deparments in Office of the Governor, Organizations, Executive, Tennessee","taxId",17379,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6712273,"POST Commission decertifies three officers, approves default decertifications and schedules several matters for August",498,1502000,2000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281&start=1502&end=2000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281/thumbnail_1502000.jpg","/articles/6712273/Tennessee/POST-Commission-decertifies-three-officers-approves-default-decertifications-and-schedules-several-matters-for-August","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6712273-78c6866e8417c5599b2318422e278884/orig.mp4?Expires=1777268758&Signature=gR1KF8SNysrrteO7oOjzsQF-E5N-5cMJS~GraOBJBREWJT9X7B~QjyHb5hHAhyRvUNCT-nqzcr-qr0~xCS8stbN7LHIEunDx6GtcjutVJjKTcUR6B4pEdcqTZcfYsK3AwMWxurjCvTTSOBI5A622Z1QJoxD5foYH7dvaazk8FHx0FQBI5iySl1bTccg~C6PU5WkkdjpVfQLqEzQWhajwTarFsWaToXk2qxpglJk2pEZWfort-muEKGj6XtVRQG44zwGvlRlUr4~QXp21spbcbAGLj-aGh0FgCq0My-kdduCLvJ26tvPKySPdtD7qxXwX8hQghx-7P4F5~dl3selAGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission met to consider certification matters for multiple officers and made a series of formal actions affecting municipal and state law-enforcement personnel.

At the meeting the commission approved decertification requests for three officers: a Jasper Police Department officer submitted after a domestic-violence investigation; a Millersville-area officer found to have violated body-worn-camera and professional conduct policies; and a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper whose handling of a DUI stop drew scrutiny over trainee supervision and muted on-camera communications. Commissioners also approved default decertification for several respondents who did not appear and moved a handful of pending matters to the August docket.

The commission accepted a request from a terminated probationary trooper to pursue a voluntary surrender (an agreed order) in lieu of contested decertification and directed staff to return that agreed order for formal approval.

In a separate matter the commission considered allegations of reporting and attendance deficiencies against a Homeland Security special agent. After testimony from the agent and his supervisors, commissioners voted for no action on that file. The commission also granted a counsel request to continue one case to August after the respondent reported a positive COVID test.

Votes at a glance

- Decertified: Robert Slatton (Jasper Police Department) — motion made and carried; formal decertification approved.
- Decertified: Michael Singleton (Millersville-area officer) — motion made and carried; formal decertification approved.
- Decertified: Ronald Dennis Davis (Tennessee Highway Patrol) — motion made and carried; formal decertification approved.
- Default decertifications: Motion carried for respondents who did not appear; Taylor James was moved to the August agenda rather than defaulted.
- Agreed order / voluntary surrender: Chad Garland (Tennessee Highway Patrol recruit) — commissioners approved pursuing a consent/voluntary-surrender order and to return the agreed order for formal acceptance.
- No action: Scott Greenwood (Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Homeland Security special agent) — commissioners voted for no action after testimony from Greenwood and his supervisors.
- Continuances to August: Eric Bradley Klim (status pending litigation), Vincent Turrissey (respondent reported positive COVID test), and other scheduled matters were reset to the August docket.

Commissioners and staff said the next steps for each respondent will be communicated by investigative staff; the commission closed the meeting after offering a public-comment opportunity and hearing none.","The Tennessee POST Commission voted to decertify three officers and approved default decertifications for nonappearing respondents. The commission accepted a voluntary surrender agreement for one trooper, took no action on a Homeland Security agent, and reset several cases for the August docket.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6712262,"Officer Michael Singleton decertified after department investigators detail on-duty misconduct and camera-policy violations",540,2036000,2576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281&start=2036&end=2576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5419101-1377a047ad7938eac376e828abc22281/thumbnail_2036000.jpg","/articles/6712262/Tennessee/Officer-Michael-Singleton-decertified-after-department-investigators-detail-on-duty-misconduct-and-camera-policy-violations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6712262-af2d831a1c6b2e0018d48e63c1bfbef7/orig.mp4?Expires=1777268758&Signature=jwRREodA92AzPPU5Knixw~aN7CBixpKrZ1bafNfqToFIwgeSzZd8oih4E0KZXfcaWmhxuv11QfoahosP5rsFfWWFYzQmAAucVW-2dQLeJjhDEpQF8iN3G-kfCqwdWwJ4~CdDIAZpPWmJ--4QeJnsYbpgV3KEvp9kgCqVn9MafDIxkXA5zT3mKbVpmcXmNdfGM0aZxetWcLzE~1RbklTdMUcdDCkWzYrsksoMXtG0DfkQK59-F~1QJx7IGJyYoXZhw-3uNIp3URRqsk30ducNAkE-cjkMFDCkOac3dsewVxXw~QtK0KTIpHf10OsSSOMKGRZ2WNhjkPcu21JDkPs3Ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee POST Commission voted to decertify Michael Singleton after Millersville Police Chief Steven Hill presented the department\u0000s investigative findings.

Chief Hill told the commission that during a response to a domestic-incident call, the officer later returned to the residence without body-camera activation, engaged in explicit conversations, displayed an inappropriate image from a personal device and used a department-issued device to send texts that were later deleted. Hill said the officer admitted much of the conduct during the department\u0000s interview and the behavior represented a breach of professional standards and department policy.

Singleton spoke to the commission and described his version of events, acknowledging personal stressors, and said some interactions were personal in nature, that he had been providing welfare checks at the request of others, and disputed parts of the department\u0000s inventory accounting.

Commissioners questioned whether he had body-worn camera activated while on duty and pressed on the policy breach. After subcommittee consideration, a motion to approve decertification was made and carried.

Quotes from the hearing

\"I never had it on,\" Michael Singleton said when asked why his body-worn camera was not activated during the follow-up contact.

Why this matters

The commission found that an on-duty failure to follow body-worn camera policy and credible allegations of inappropriate on-duty conduct undermined the public trust necessary for certification. Decertification will remove the officer's peace-officer credential and affect future employability in law enforcement roles in Tennessee.

Next steps

Investigators will notify the respondent of the commission's decision and provide information on appeal options and procedural next steps.","The commission approved decertification for an officer after Millersville Police Department presented findings that the officer deactivated his body camera during a follow-up contact, displayed and deleted explicit images and messages from a departmental device, and engaged in unprofessional conduct while on duty.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper decertified after hearing over trainee supervision and handling of DUI stop

POST Commission decertifies three officers, approves default decertifications and schedules several matters for August

Officer Michael Singleton decertified after department investigators detail on-duty misconduct and camera-policy violations