Former state trooper loses license over ‘ghost’ and ‘false’ traffic stops
The former Tennessee trooper also admits to texting and being on social media while driving.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - This October, ghosts are haunting Dustin Cotton.
Not the ones decorating houses, but rather the “ghost stops” he’s accused of making.
Cotton, who resigned from the Tennessee Highway Patrol in April in lieu of pending termination, appeared before the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) commission last week to fight his former agency’s effort to strip him of his license.
Among the violations, the THP claims Cotton incurred while being a trooper: making “ghost” stops, where he ran the license plate of vehicles so it appeared he was making a traffic stop, when in fact he never stopped the driver.
When asked about it repeatedly during the hearing, Cotton could not recall a specific time making a “ghost stop,” but also believed he had done it.
“I can’t think of a certain time that I have, but I’m sure I have,” Cotton said.
What Cotton does remember, is making “false” traffic stops, including two times in which he did it as part of marriage proposals.
According to Cotton’s personnel file, Cotton admitted he had “made previous traffic stops on his ‘buddies’ with no intention of enforcement action, simply because it was funny to him.”
Members of the POST commission asked Cotton why he found the “false” stops to be humorous.
“I can’t exactly tell you why I feel that it’s funny - but in general - it was,” Cotton said.
Cotton defended his actions repeatedly, saying one of the times he stopped a friend was for failure to wear a seatbelt, though it did not result in a ticketed violation.
“I don’t feel like anything I’ve done is ethically wrong morally wrong or illegal,” Cotton said.
But Sgt. Toby Carter, an investigator for the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, told commissioners that they’ve found other violations.
“There were four times he was on social media or texting while driving in September,” Carter said. “Five more times where he was speeding and hit the 90 miles per hour mark when he was not running emergency traffic.”
Commissioners asked Cotton if he felt he’d doing anything illegal.
“No sir, I don’t, I don’t feel like I did anything illegal,” Cotton said.
“Is it it illegal to go 90 miles an hour in the city limits of Franklin?” a commissioner asked.
“You know, I have to, I have to withdraw that statement because that is definitely, that is definitely illegal and I agree with you,” Cotton said.
“Is it illegal to be (texting) on your phone while driving?” the commissioner asked.
“Yes ma’am, it is,” Cotton said.
Carter also told commissioners of how after arresting someone for DUI, Cotton failed to respond to five subpoenas to appear in court, and as a result, a judge dismissed the case.
One of the commissioners then told Cotton that his integrity as a law enforcement officer had been “severely damaged.”
The commission voted unanimously to decertify Cotton.
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