A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper has come under fire for allegedly groping a woman during a traffic stop—then pulling her over again three hours later.
Eighth Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler, who conducted a review of the August 16 dashcam footage, announced Thursday that State Trooper Isaiah Lloyd’s actions were “inconsistent with his training” and his agency’s rulebook. The footage became public last month after the woman seen in the videos filed a lawsuit against the trooper, according to Knoxville News.
In the lawsuit, Patricia Wilson alleged that Lloyd instructed her to exit the vehicle and bend over, placing her hands over the cruiser. She claimed that Lloyd had put his hand down her shorts and she bent over. Wilson explained that didn’t say anything at the time because she was afraid Lloyd would arrest her, WATE reported.
Lloyd can be heard in the video expressing concern that Wilson might be armed before checking her before putting his hands under the waistband of her shorts. Lloyd is also recorded saying that he pulled Wilson over on Interstate 75 because she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
Through his lawyer, Lloyd claimed he had searched her because she admitted to using Ambien, a sleep aid. However, Knoxville News noted that Wilson hadn’t brought up Ambien before she was searched. At one point, Lloyd is heard asking whether she had any drugs in her bra or if she’s under the influence of any prescription drugs—both of which occurred after he checked Wilson’s waistband.
Wilson does admit to taking a sleep aid but doesn’t remember the name. Lloyd suggests Ambien and Wilson agrees.
“I normally have to take it every other night,” she is heard telling the trooper. “I don’t take any narcotics.”
Lloyd responds, “It is a narcotic.”
For reference, the Drug Enforcement Administration doesn’t consider Ambien a narcotic.
Wilson underwent two sobriety tests before Lloyd let her off with a ticket for a seat belt violation. The trooper reportedly stopped the same woman three hours later.
This time, the footage lacked sound as Lloyd claimed his body mic “went dead,” according to the local paper. Wilson had her two young children in the truck with her during the second run-in.
Per the lawsuit, Lloyd said he stopped Wilson this time for her tinted windows and because she was swerving all over the road.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” Lloyd allegedly said before letting Wilson off without a citation.
Contradicting the District Attorney’s findings, the police department ultimately cleared Lloyd of any wrongdoing. The District Attorney also said that Lloyd will not face criminal charges for the August 2016 ordeal, despite finding that he violated protocol.
“After careful consideration and review, the Tennessee Highway Patrol Command Staff has advised me that Trooper Isaiah Lloyd conducted this traffic stop in a professional manner in an effort to protect the motoring public,” Colonel Tracy Trott said in the statement.
[Featured Image: Isaiah Lloyd, Patricia Wilson/Tennessee Highway Patrol video screengrab]
