Long-Dangerous Tails

Deputy fired after DUI arrest was found vomiting on himself, combative; had to be placed in ‘K-9 cage’

BLOUNTVILLE — The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was terminated after being arrested on a DUI charge was allegedly found vomiting on himself, repeatedly refused to stop kicking the inside of a squad car, and berated the arresting trooper for costing him his job.

Samuel Monroe Bledsoe, 47, also allegedly tried to slam a squad car door on a trooper and was placed in a “K-9 cage” to prevent injury to himself or state property.

The information became available Tuesday with the release of a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer’s arrest report and Bristol Sessions Court affidavit.

Trooper David Osborne arrested Bledsoe for a first DUI offense on Friday night. Osborne was responding to a report of a possible intoxicated driver near southbound mile marker 68 of Interstate 81.

According to court records, dispatch advised a Tennessee Department of Transportation HELP truck driver called to report finding a male driver who was “vomiting on himself and seemed very intoxicated.” The HELP truck operator said he had stopped to assist the driver with a flat tire.

Upon arrival at the scene, Osborne said he found one man lying facedown in the snow beside the car with the flat tire. He was identified as Bledsoe’s father-in-law, a passenger. Due to his extreme level of intoxication, he was released to a woman identified only as “Mrs. Bledsoe.”

The TDOT HELP truck driver pointed out Samuel Bledsoe as the driver when he arrived at the scene. Osborne said he found Bledsoe, apparently sleeping, in the front passenger seat of his wife’s car, which was also at the scene. Osborne said he opened the door and identified himself. Noting a strong odor of alcohol on Bledsoe, he asked him to step out to perform field sobriety tests. Bledsoe agreed.

Osborne said Bledsoe didn’t perform the field sobriety tests as instructed, appearing to have difficulty with following directions and nearly falling down several times. One of the tests was explained to him 18 times before he attempted it, then performed it poorly, Osborne said.

Before and during the field sobriety tests, Bledsoe repeatedly identified himself as a Sullivan County deputy and asked to be taken home. Troopers told him they couldn’t do that.

On the way to his patrol car, Osborne said Bledsoe nearly fell, had to be caught and was helped the rest of the way. Bledsoe first said he drank one beer, then admitted to another officer, Trooper Robert Greer, that he drank whiskey with his father-in-law “due to his father-in-law wanting to drink.”

No alcohol was found in Bledsoe’s car. There was some vomit on the driver’s side and on the ground outside the driver’s door as well as on Bledsoe’s clothes, Osborne said.

When the troopers asked him what happened, Bledsoe said he’d been driving and the tire blew out. He provided that answer a second time after being given Miranda warnings.

He was arrested for a first offense of DUI and placed in the back of Greer’s cruiser. At that time, Bledsoe allegedly tried to slam the door on a third trooper who was standing in the way.

En route to Bristol Regional Medical Center for a blood test, Greer had to pull over twice because Bledsoe was kicking the cage and the door of the cruiser. After the second stop, Osborne said he got approval to transfer Bledsoe to the back of his patrol unit, “due to the K-9 cage being smaller.” It left Bledsoe with little room to hurt himself or state property, Osborne noted.

At the hospital, Bledsoe said he “wanted to talk with a supervisor,” adding that he thought a supervisor would let him go home. Osborne said Bledsoe told him, “I hope you are proud of yourself for this and costing me my job.”

Osborne said he told Bledsoe that he “probably saved his life due to his intoxication, or prevented him from possibly hurting someone else.” He then delivered Bledsoe to the Sullivan County Jail.

Bledsoe was terminated from the SCSO on Monday following an internal investigation and review of the incident.

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I have been away galivanting again but am back on Uk soil now.

I thought you’d like to see this little Furbo Degli Achei son I photographed on my way home at one of the UK’s top kennels Videx GSDs.

This is little Ricci , he is bl$$dy gorgeous!!

I even was brave and got my photo taken for my website and for my book bio when I was in Belgium on the way home last week!! 

The photo is with UK CH Lararth Sassy I look soooooooo peely wally (scottish for pale) next to the ever colourful german shepherd sassy!!

Anyway was just popping in to catch up with you all, read your posts and say hi , speak  to you soon xxxx

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I was just stung by a scorpion! I didn’t even know that FL had scorpions! Did you hear that, Lin? Something to add to your “Things to See in Florida” list.  From living here and in CA for a hundred years, I know better than to stick my fingers where they can’t be seen.

This little bugger was on the handle of Cassie’s water bucket! When I touched the handle it stung me. Talk about excruciating pain. Julie, that little sting makes putting Liquid Skin on an open cut seem like nothing at all. This scorpion was only about an inch long—I cannot imagine getting stung by the larger version.

I am happy to say that this particular evil creature is now in scorpion heaven. Cassie is 14 years old—thankfully, the scorpion stung me and not my old girl.

Sorry—no pix of this one!

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Do you have this problem in the USA? Increasingly we have this problem in the UK . I live on the edge of a village , fields on 2 sides of the village , woodland the other and the beach infront and the environment around us is increasingly falling victim to members of our community and from other people  from other areas coming to our quiet fields ,woodland areas  and dumping their rubbish/garbage where they cant be seen doing this . 

Its illegal to do this in our country but common place never the less. It causes environmmental hazzards and is  a big threat to wildlife and to people and their dogs etc who use the countryside reponsibly to walk their dogs. I get so angry when I see this kind of thing. These fotos were taken less than 10 mins from my home today while out walking the dogs. 

old tyres in a heap in the woods

tyres in the woodland stream

other dumped garbage

I dont know how rubbish/garbage collection works in the USA but in our country large item collections used to be free ,paid for as part of our annunal local authority taxes( costly ones)But they introduced rubbish collection charges on top of these taxes. £10 each for the 1st 3 collections for up to a certain amount of items rising to £43 for a 4th collection. The local taxes though did not go down .The response in our county has been a terrible rise in this dumping of rubbish , both industrial and household. While out walking previously I have seen what looked like a  whole room cleared out , furniture included and just dumped at the access point to our woods. Someone locally  had obviously moved home and rather than pay to have their excess belongings removed had just resorted to  dumping it at night under the cover of darkness.

It is a sad situation which is blighting my county’s (fife) landscape and sadder still nobody takes responsibility and clears it away . The farmers dont and really why should they ? it maybe their land but its not their fault? The councils/local authorities wont either so the cycle goes on , it lies for months no doubt  for years to come causing an eyesore and hazzard.. anyway , thats my sopabox for today , it just makes me sad.

Do you have any of this kind of thing in the USA?

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