# Tennessee family stopped by police for losing wallet **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 9, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511 "2003-01-09T14:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/1 "2003-01-09T14:30:13Z")
[http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=4879](http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=4879) Anyone heard about this? I know the police had to act cautiously, but I think there was a large number of errors in judgement made here. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/2 "2003-01-09T14:32:22Z")
Old news. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/3 "2003-01-09T14:32:42Z")
This article includes a link to the video of the arrest and dog-shooting. [http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/03/01/27473390.shtml?Element\_ID=27473390](http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/03/01/27473390.shtml?Element_ID=27473390) ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/4 "2003-01-09T14:36:00Z")
Being dicussed in [Great Debates](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=154820) ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/5 "2003-01-09T14:39:42Z")
I just read this and feel like I am going to be sick. Maybe if the fucknut cops had used a little common sense and actually used those investigative skills they’re supposed to have, this family would not have had to watch the execution of their pet dog. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/6 "2003-01-09T14:39:54Z")
Jeb Smoak? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/7 "2003-01-09T14:40:23Z")
God help the officers involved. They’re toast. Transcript of the video. It’s sickening to read. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/09/police.kill.dog/](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/09/police.kill.dog/) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/8 "2003-01-09T14:51:23Z")
I wonder if the caller that reported seeing the wallet fly out insinuated that a robbery had occurred or if they came up with that all on their own. Nevertheless, the fact that there was a wife, two kids and an elderly set of grandparents present and these cops clung to the notion they’d all been involved in a robbery is just beyond belief. Whatever these idiots do after they’ve been fired, let’s hope it’s not still related to law enforcement. Unbelivable. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/9 "2003-01-09T15:10:34Z")
Gads. Nashvillian here, about 2.5 hours from Cookeville. That’s an odd town. It’s very redneck, yet also has a very respected Technological university there. I’d hope the officers were better educated but it appears they may have been on the redneck side of things. I try to never speak ill of police officers; I know they have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. But damn it, guys, use some common sense!!! As a resident of Tennessee, I want to apologize a thousand times over for this travesty. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/10 "2003-01-09T15:38:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*Whatever these idiots do after they’ve been fired, let’s hope it’s not still related to law enforcement. > \*\* What, are you kidding? Nothing’s going to happen to them. > [@](#): > > Yesterday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol acknowledged there was no robbery, just a calamitous mix-up in communications between dispatchers working for two separate patrol offices. This failure to communicate led to the shooting of the Smoaks’ dog, an incident that was preserved on videotape by a dashboard camera in a patrol car. > … > ‘‘Our investigation has found that our troopers on the scene that night — Trooper David Bush, Trooper Jerry Phann and Lt. Jerry Andrews — did have probable cause to conduct what in police terms is called a ‘felony stop’ of a motorist,’’ said Beth Tucker Womack, spokeswoman for the Department of Safety. The THP is part of the Safety Department. > … > Officer Hall has been reassigned to an administrative position pending the outcome of that investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/11 "2003-01-09T15:39:57Z")
Lieu, the two young kids and the grandparents didn’t show up until after the dog was shot. It was just a man, a woman, and a 17 year old boy. Still, the idea that a felony stop can be based on some lady on a cell phone saying she saw money fly from your car and nothing more – that’s just kind of wrong. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/12 "2003-01-09T16:46:00Z")
Ah, if only I were a lawyer in Tennessee. I’d do this one for free. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/13 "2003-01-09T16:46:52Z")
Everybody…in the…whole…World…thinks Tennesseans are stone-cold freaks… & barking dog nuts. Thanks to these fucktards. :smack: :eek: ☹ :mad: ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/14 "2003-01-09T16:56:32Z")
Well, they shouldn’t. Your average Tennessean had as much control over this as over the weather. The blame lays solely on the officers involved, plus their supervisor to a degree. I don’t think any less of Tenessee or it’s residents because of this, unless they give the guy a medal or something. I see a lot of blaming an entire state or country because of the actions of a few and it just strikes me as incredibly dense behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/15 "2003-01-09T18:06:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*Old news. \*\* Eight days ago is old news? ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/16 "2003-01-09T18:57:39Z")
Is it just me, or are there a lot of Tennesseans on this board? That would indicate that there are at least a FEW non-ignorant Tennesseans! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/17 "2003-01-09T19:12:30Z")
I just watched the video, and let me amend my earlier statement to say that the redneck piece of shit cop who shot that dog is NOT among the hypothetical non-ignorant Tennesseans I alluded to. But hey, he got to shoot his shotgun, so it worked out OK for him. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/18 "2003-01-09T19:51:39Z")
For fuck’s sake, why say “GET BACK” to a dog? I mean, at the very least try “Release” or “sit” or Stay" or something a well-trained dog might understand? Or better yet. say “Call your dog off or I will shoot hi.” to the poor handcuffed family. If Officer Hall thinks saying “Get back” to a dog and waiting to see what it does is to make judgment about whether the dog is vicious – well he’s a moron. And yeah, lieu, I was bummed to see some people make comments on websites like “I will never vacation in that backwards part of the country again.” I got news for those people: idiocy is not confined an area code. Fucknugets are everywhere, and don’t think that locating ONE means you’ve found their mecca. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/19 "2003-01-09T19:52:47Z")
Another resident here. This situation was prefigured with more disasterous results over in the same neck of the woods, Lebanon, Tn (a little to the West of Cookeville and East of Nashville) no more than two years ago when the local constabulary burst into a home and shot a 62 year old man dead in his living room. They were supposed to be making a drug sting but the morons got the address wrong and went to the house next door instead. A little more training and a little less “bubba-rism” would go a long way to making this part of the world more civilized. [-article-](http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/04/05591557.shtml?Element_ID=5591557) ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511/20 "2003-01-09T19:57:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*Jeb Smoak? \*\* James, actually. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennessee-family-stopped-by-police-for-losing-wallet/147511.md?page=2)