Tennessee POST panel suspends one certificate, decertifies several officers and closes two files

The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) at an informal hearing on March 20 voted to suspend one peace officer's certificate while criminal charges are pending, decertified multiple officers for misconduct or untruthfulness, moved another case to a full hearing and administratively closed two files.

The commission voted to suspend the POST certificate of Officer Anthony Musto while his criminal case is pending after the agency disclosed a pending domestic-assault charge. Captain Josh Blair of the Blount County Sheriff's Office told the commission the agency did not seek decertification but brought the matter as a post-rule follow-up. The officer agreed to the suspension, and commissioners approved an agreed order of suspension while the criminal proceeding remains pending.

Why this matters: POST certification determines whether someone can carry a law-enforcement commission in Tennessee; suspension or decertification removes or restricts that ability pending legal or administrative review.

Among other formal outcomes, the commission:

Votes at a glance: - Deputy Michael Lee (Bradley County): Decertified. The agency reported body- and dash-camera footage contradicted Lee's statements that he had been dragged by a vehicle; investigators found falsification and a violation of the truthfulness policy. The district attorney wrote that Lee 'cannot be called as a witness' for prosecutions because of lack…