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Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper decertified after hearing over trainee supervision and handling of DUI stop
Summary
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.
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 Daviss 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.
Daviss 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 fieldduring high-tempo overnight operationscan 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 commissions decision and information on any available appeal processes and timelines.
