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Tennessee POST Commission approves waivers, takes no action on one DUI case
Summary
At its July meeting the Tennessee POST Commission approved multiple training and certification waivers, accepted a surrender, and voted to take no action on a criminal‑record waiver while court supervision remains unclear. Staff were asked to draft procedural guidance on repeat presentations to the commission.
The Tennessee POST Commission on Thursday approved a slate of personnel waivers and administrative actions while reserving action on one case that remains entangled with court supervision.
Commissioners voted to approve a military‑discharge waiver for Alejandro Antonio Rayo, who the Clarksville Police Department presented as having a 2018 incident that was later dismissed and expunged and who subsequently completed police academies and served in several agencies. Rayo told the commission he has worked in law enforcement since 2020 and asked commissioners to consider his full record; the commission approved the waiver on a motion and voice vote.
The commission also granted Pearland Police Department’s request to allow Bryson (Bryce) Ellis to change academies after a change in employment, approved an out‑of‑state instructor development course for officer Bridal Morton, and granted a waiver of a 40‑hour instructor development requirement for James Olsen based on his prior instructor credentials and long experience.
Several six‑month start‑of‑training waivers were approved for officers who cited family obligations or medical issues; commissioners approved these on voice votes. The commission accepted the order of surrender for Robert G. Vargas following his guilty pleas in Marion County on June 30, 2026.
On the Alamo Police Department’s criminal‑record waiver request for Ricky Lee Allen (a 2021 DUI matter and Feb. 2024 conviction listed in staff records), commissioners debated whether the commission could act while the candidate remained under any form of court supervision. After discussion, the body voted to take no action on Allen’s request; that motion passed with one abstention. During the exchange staff suggested the commission consider a formal policy limiting how soon an applicant may re‑present after a denial.
Staff investigator reports and the consent agenda were approved with noted recusals, and commissioners asked staff to provide clearer guidance to agencies about documentation the commission will require when candidates seek waivers or reinstatement.
The meeting adjourned after assigning follow‑up tasks to staff. The commission did not receive public comment at the close of the meeting.
