Like hundreds of other drivers in Tennessee last year, Steven Smart's blood work showed he was negative for alcohol and drugs. Still, he was arrested for DUI. >> Obviously, it hurt a lot. You know, I mean, I had a little bit in savings, you know, and I had put the rest on a credit card. >> Tennessee had a big year in 2024, a record year. They arrested 419 drunk drivers. Outstanding work. Except none of them were drunk. None were high. None were impaired, but they were arrested anyway, which means sobriety is no longer a defense. It's just a speed bump. Thin blue lies, baby. In 2024, according to state data, 419 people were arrested for DUI in Tennessee. and blood tests later proved nothing was in their system. No substances, no impairment, no crime. But hey, details. This is the highest number ever recorded, which is impressive if the goal is arresting the wrong people. The data from the TBI released today shows 419 sober drivers were arrested for DUI in 2024 in Tennessee. The police department that made the most sober DUI arrests, the THP. 180 DUI arrests of sober people in total by state troopers. 37 sober people arrested in the THP's Nashville region. 41 in Knoxville where Smith was arrested. But keep in mind, Smith was arrested in 2025, meaning the problem continues. >> Now, let's talk about how this keeps happening. It starts with roadside sobriety tests. Not science, not medical exams, just a flashlight, a gravel shoulder, traffic flying by at 70 mph, and an officer who already made up their mind. Miss a step, have anxiety, exist while nervous. Congratulations, you failed the vibe check. >> I pretty much wiped my whole savings out. Uh, and then I had just had to start back over, you know. I think this just confirms that something does need to be done about uh you know these improper DUI arrests. >> The release of the sober DUI numbers comes after Senator Ramsh Akbari successfully passed legislation last year requiring the TBI to compile and release the data. >> Certainly a significant jump going up to over 400 people. And just in case anyone's still wondering why this keeps happening, one Tennessee Highway Patrol captain, Captain Turner, allegedly told his troopers to arrest every DUI that you can get your hands on. Nothing vague about that. Nothing nuanced, nothing remotely subtle. Not arrest impaired drivers, not follow the evidence, just grab them. which really clears things up because when the marching orders are arrest first, it suddenly makes sense why sobriety keeps losing. This isn't about safety. It's about numbers. And when numbers matter more than accuracy, you don't need drunk drivers. You just need drivers. Our investigations revealed multiple state troopers making sober DUI arrests in previous years with former troopers claiming intense pressure from leadership to make DUI arrests is partially leading to the wrongful arrests. Proof they say in this recorded audio of Chattanooga THP Captain Patrick Turner. >> Arrest every DUI that you can get your hands on. >> Here's the punch line. actual evidence, blood tests, comes after the arrest. And in these 419 cases, the blood said clean, stone, cold, sober. But by then, the cuffs were on, the mug shot was taken, and the court date was scheduled. Science doesn't prevent the arrest. It just cleans up the paperwork later. While the THP is no longer responding to questions from WSMV4 Investigates, we did obtain emails through the Open Records Act from Captain Turner in 2025, and they reveal in the wake of our sobering problem investigations, the same captain who urged troopers to make DUI arrests implemented an audit of what's called double negatives, meaning people were arrested for DUI, but were later found negative for alcohol. ol and drugs. The emails show those audits repeatedly resulted in DUI refresher trainings for troopers who made sober DUI arrests. One sergeant writing to Turner, I am aware of this and how much we are under the spotlight right now. It needs to start at the THP Academy. I am not sure what type of training they are getting there. I am not speaking badly at the academy. I just think things may be a bit rushed there, >> but it's definitely worth pulling together a group of law enforcement officers and agencies to kind of get their perspective. Uh see what their training mechanisms are like. You know, look at the counties where you have higher numbers. I think certainly out of the report, the Tennessee Highway Patrol had the highest. >> Let's put a name and a receipt on this. Steven Smart was arrested for DUI, completely sober. zero alcohol, zero drugs. And to prove he did nothing wrong, he paid an attorney $10,500. $10,500. Not because he was guilty, not because he broke the law, because the state did. That's not justice. That's a payw wall. And that money gone. No refund for wrongful arrest. No reimbursement for being innocent. No apology letter. Just a lesson. Freedom may be free, but proving it will cost you. >> I want some answers. I need something else done about this. I mean, I've lost, you know, a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of heartache, a lot of uh friendships, a lot of stuff was, you know, happening just because of someone someone Oops, I made a mistake. >> Oh, and that roadside circus, you don't actually have to consent to it. Those tests aren't designed to clear you. They're designed to justify what's already been decided. They're optional. They're subjective. and they're performed in conditions no sober human would pass. Refusing them looks like guilt. Taking them creates evidence. Funny how the game is rigged either way. This isn't legal advice. It's a reality check. >> All right, I do want to tell you about something else that the TBI added today. They pointed out that there are quote various substances that may impair a driver that the TBI doesn't test for. For obvious reasons, the TBI is not going to disclose which substances those are. But in all of the cases that I've told you about, if the TBI's blood test shows no alcohol and no drugs, the charges have been dropped. >> We're told the system works, which is interesting because it only works after ruining your life. The citizen pays immediately. The state reviews it later. And the officer, still employed, still certified, still confident. 419 sober drivers isn't a fluke. It's what happens when arrest numbers matter more than accuracy and immunity matters more than truth. Because when the system knows it will never pay the bill, there's no incentive to slow down, no reason to be careful, and no consequence for being wrong. And that's how you end up with hundreds of sober people in handcuffs and nobody in charge taking responsibility. Thin blue lies, baby.