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Tennessee POST Commission suspends one officer, decertifies others after hearings on domestic incidents and fabricated traffic stops
Summary
At its informal July hearing, the Tennessee POST Commission suspended a Hollerville officer for one year, voted to decertify multiple officers over domestic-violence and misconduct findings and moved other matters to a later date; one referral drew special concern about fabricated 'ghost' traffic stops tied to a grant.
The Tennessee POST Commission on March 2, 2026 held an informal hearing and voted on a slate of certification and disciplinary matters involving officers from several agencies.
The panel approved a one-year suspension for Hollerville Police Department officer David Haley, ordering the suspension to run through Aug. 1, 2027, after agency investigators presented photographs and an internal inquiry describing a domestic incident that led to Haley’s resignation. Haley told the commission the underlying criminal charge had been expunged; he said an expungement order was in place. Commissioner Green questioned Haley’s actions and past responses to domestic calls; following discussion Commissioner Byrd moved for the one-year suspension and the motion carried.
The commission took no action on a Houston County Sheriff's Office referral for Steven Gray after staff reported the matter had been placed into pretrial diversion and was not on the individual’s record. The commission voted to carry a motion for no action.
Kingsport Police Department’s case involving Officer Noah Stockstill — submitted for failing to maintain pre-employment requirements — was resolved by a motion for default certification after the officer did not appear; the commission approved the motion.
The panel voted to decertify Memphis Police Department Officer Javier Hawkins after Metro’s representative outlined sustained internal affairs findings tied to two domestic incidents and described injuries to a victim. Hawkins denied throwing a ceramic object and said the broken glass that cut the victim was accidental. The commission debated suspension versus decertification before approving a motion to decertify.
A separate matter involving Red Bank Police Department’s Brantley Young was moved to next month so an agreed order could be drafted and presented to the respondent for signature.
A high-profile referral involving officer Patricia Rittman drew sustained scrutiny: investigators said Rittman admitted to routinely conducting “ghost stops” (not activating recording equipment), fabricating entire traffic stops, falsifying e-citation timestamps and inserting names by querying random license plates. Those inconsistent entries affected 12 of 13 overtime log sheets tied to a federal/state traffic-safety grant, investigators said, and Rittman resigned in lieu of termination. The commission heard a multi-page explanatory letter from Rittman describing personal hardships; commissioners flagged the risk that falsified grant activity could jeopardize the agency’s future grant eligibility. After discussion the commission voted on a certification action related to Rittman and the motion carried.
Signal Mountain Police Department’s case against Officer Virgil Lanning was presented by the agency’s captain, who recounted persistent speeding complaints, GPS checks that showed the officer living outside the permitted mileage and repeated dishonesty in an internal investigation. The commission voted to decertify Lanning.
The commission recessed briefly while awaiting arrivals and adjourned after the final votes.
Why it matters: The POST Commission’s actions affect officers’ ability to work across Tennessee law-enforcement agencies and underscore two recurring oversight themes: domestic-violence-related decertifications and internal integrity concerns tied to falsified records and grant-funded overtime assignments. Several agencies signaled potential grant-notification or prosecutorial follow-up, and at least one case was referred to formal proceedings for fuller fact-finding.
What happens next: Several respondents are barred or constrained from certification pending the effective dates noted by the commission; one matter was moved to next month to permit an agreed order. The commission adjourned with no further calendar items scheduled in the transcript.
