According to a Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office incident report, January 21st, 2023, at 9:21 PM, Corporal Thomas was on patrol on Liberty Lane when he heard a BOLO broadcast by dispatch for a white, older model Dodge Ram traveling in the median, and the wrong side of the road, eastbound on Battlefield Parkway passing Dietz Rd and with a TN license tag. According to the report, “Corporal Thomas went to the intersection of Old Mil Rd and Battlefield Parkway and did see a white Dodge Ram pass him eastbound. Corporal Thomas pulled out behind the vehicle and followed him. As the vehicle passed Three Notch Road, Corporal Thomas could see the vehicle cross the fog line multiple times. As he got closer, Corporal Thomas could see it appeared that the vehicle had a Tennessee tag as it was a blue tag. Corporal Thomas pulled in behind the vehicle, and as it came up the convenience store at Hoover Rd, it abruptly pulled across the turn lane and into the parking lot without signaling. Corporal Thomas activated his emergency light, and both vehicles came to a stop in the parking lot.” Corporal Thomas then made contact with the driver, identified as Richard Maxwell Chase, 24, of Tennessee. The deputy could smell the odor of marijuana and a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Richard. CPL Thomas could also see Richard’s eyes were bloodshot. When asked, Richard said he had drank a Blue Moon (beer) with dinner. CPL Thomas asked him if he’d smoked any marijuana because he could smell it, and he said he did smoke “half a bowl”. According to the report, “CPL Thomas asked Richard if he’d agree to field sobriety testing, but he refused stating, “the last time I did the tests, I got arrested”. CPL Thomas told Richard he was going to conduct a probable cause search of the vehicle and for him to get out however, Richard asked to see a court order. CPL Thomas again informed him he had probable cause to search the vehicle and that he needed to step out. ” When Richard finally got out of the vehicle, he quickly grabbed an item from the door pocket and threw it in the trash can that was next to the vehicle. Richard denied throwing anything away. Corporal Thomas told him that he was going to dig through the trash can and find it, and if it was something illegal, he would be charged with felony tampering with evidence. Richard then said that it was just a pipe. During a search of the vehicle, the deputy located marijuana. Also inside the vehicle was a metal flask with a Crown Royal cover that contained an alcoholic beverage based on its odor. Richard was placed under arrest for DUI and refused the state test. Richard was transported to the Catoosa County Jail and charged with failing to maintain a single lane, DUI multiple substances, open container violation, and possession of marijuana and drug-related objects.
Tennessee man arrested again for DUI after 911 call from concerned citizen in Catoosa County
