As of tonight, three federal lawsuits have been filed against Trooper Zan. Former US Attorney Jane Bonderant, Nashville resident Tracy Sprouse, and Coffee County resident Hunter Lungren are all suing ZH. All were arrested for DUI. All their blood work later came back showing they had neither drugs nor alcohol in their system. >> A Tennessee state trooper conducted a series of DUI traffic stops. At least eight drivers were arrested and taken to jail. Each was accused of driving under the influence. But after those arrests, the chemical tests came back. Blood tests, toxicology results, and in case after case, those drivers tested sober. No alcohol, no drugs, no impairment. At least three federal lawsuits have now been filed against the state following those arrests. The trooper involved has since been retrained by the department. But the bigger question now being asked is this. How does a single trooper arrest eight sober drivers for DUI before anyone stops it? Thin blue lies, baby. Now, mistakes happen. No system is perfect. But what makes this case stand out is the number. Not one, not two, eight. Eight sober drivers arrested for DUI before the pattern became public. Which raises a very simple question. If a trooper keeps arresting sober people, how long does it take before someone notices? Apparently about eight tries. But then something interesting happened. The email started. of the latest in our sobering problem investigation. We've uncovered tonight that the trooper, who we found arrested eight sober drivers for DUI, has now been retrained on how to conduct DUIs. We know that not because the THB told us, it's because I obtained their emails that show the state police is very aware of the scrutiny they're facing. It's June 26, 2025, and Nashville Sergeant Andrew Perez, seen here on Facebook, knows what WSMV4 Investigates has been reporting. How troopers have been arresting sober drivers for DUI and getting sued. >> Getting anything to drink today? >> In that June email, Perez writes, "The media is closely scrutinizing everything we're doing involving impaired drivers. I don't want any of you to have to deal with being in the news, getting fired, or being sued because you were lazy or in a rush and didn't do your job the way you were trained. He then writes that each trooper acknowledged the email using the term direct and among those acknowledging direct trooper James. >> According to reporting on the case, internal emails began circulating among officials as the arrests drew attention. messages between highway patrol leadership, messages involving communications staff, messages discussing how the situation should be addressed publicly. The governor's office was even involved in reviewing a response video from the department. Which means while drivers were learning they had been arrested while sober, officials inside the system were already discussing how the story should be handled. And that raises another question. How long had leadership known something was wrong? because email chains don't usually appear out of thin air. >> Two months later, on August 14th, we air our investigation showing Zhan had arrested seven sober drivers for DUI. >> Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I have not been drinking, sir. Sir, I really haven't been drinking. >> It's at that point the THP starts getting emails from the public calling for a full and transparent investigation into deeply concerning conduct by trooper James. And to ZH specifically, I'll make sure to keep clear from you when I'm in Tennessee. THP Sergeant Derek Spires, seen here on Instagram, writes back to ZH, "Don't let this stuff get you down. Keep doing the job the way you have been instructed." Then 6 days later, we report on an eighth sober driver arrested by ZH. And this time, she's a former US attorney. >> I think I made people too many. On August 27th, an email from the THP's communication director reads they'd recorded a video with Colonel Matt Perry that addresses the public regarding the sober DUI issue. But he writes the governor's office then reviewed that video and they decided to craft a statement they can review for a possible reply to WSNB4 Investigates. On August 29th, Perez writes Don directing him that he's now going to be retrained on DUI, scheduling a 4-hour block of DUI training with a lieutenant. >> It's funny how the system works sometimes. Eight wrongful arrests go unnoticed, but an email chain about the public response appears pretty quickly. Apparently, the DUI detection system isn't great at spotting sober drivers, but it's fantastic at spotting bad press. And the official solution, the trooper was retrained because nothing says accountability like a PowerPoint presentation. >> Further 3 days now, we've emailed and called the governor's office asking for an explanation as to why they blocked the release of that video. No response yet. We also tried to get a copy of that video, but lawyers for the state denied that request, but we're going to keep trying to get it. As of tonight, three federal lawsuits have been filed against Trooper Zan. Former US Attorney Jane Bonderant, Nashville resident Tracy Sprouse, and Coffee County resident Hunter Lungren are all suing ZH. All were arrested for DUI. All their blood work later came back showing they had neither drugs nor alcohol in their system. Cases like this highlight something many drivers don't realize. DUI enforcement relies heavily on roadside sobriety tests. Walking a line, standing on one leg, and following a pin with your eyes. Tests that police training materials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration acknowledge are not perfect indicators of impairment. Even under ideal conditions, these tests can produce incorrect results. But roadside stops rarely happen under ideal conditions. They happen at night on uneven pavement with flashing lights and nervous drivers. So when the system depends on subjective tests and the chemical proof comes later, situations like this become possible. And that brings us back to the number eight sober drivers arrested before the problem became public. Eight. Not one bad judgment call, a pattern. Which raises the question people are asking now. Where was the oversight? Were earlier arrests reviewed? Did supervisors notice the toxicology results coming back negative? Or did it take lawsuits and media attention before anyone started connecting the dots? Because in this case, the blood tests eventually told the truth. But that truth came after the arrests, after the jail bookings, after the damage was already done, and apparently after eight attempts. Thin blue lies, baby. Hey, if you're still here, that tells me two things. One, you actually care about accountability. And two, YouTube hasn't scared you off yet. So, here's the deal. If this video brought you value, do the YouTube things. Like it, share it, subscribe. That's how this channel keeps exposing nonsense without corporate filters. If you want to support the work directly, there's a know your rights guide and other resources linked below at ko-fi.com/thinblue lies media. And for the few of you who've asked, there's also official merch linked below. No hype, no drop. It's just there if the message resonates. However you support the work, watching, sharing, reading, wearing it, or just sticking around, I appreciate you being here. Thin blue lies,