Before we talk about anything, ALWAYS have a dash cam or phone and record ALL interactions with any government officials.
This site has been created in order for We the People to hold our law enforcement officials accountable for their action. As we all know the law enforcement officials thinks that they are above the people because they hold these titles. Now it is time to pull that power back and put our law enforcement officials in check.
I am sure that you have seen law enforcement officers on the roads driving too fast, talking on their cellphones, crossing over the control lines or not using their turning signals. If any one of We the People are seen doing any of these violations, law enforcement officers would not hastate to pull us over and issue a ticket or possibly take us to jail. This somehow does not seem fair under the law. Wait! it isn’t. Tennessee has laws that govern how law enforcement officers are too drives our emergency vehicles when they are not responding to an emergency. Let’s look further into this.
1. T.C.A. § 55‑8‑108 — Authorized Emergency Vehicles
This is the main statute that governs police driving. It says officers ONLY get special driving privileges when:
- They are responding to an emergency call
- They are in pursuit of a suspect
- AND they are using both lights and sirens
If those conditions are NOT met, then: They must obey all normal traffic laws. This statute is the foundation. It does not give officers any special privileges outside emergencies.
2. T.C.A. § 55‑8‑152 — Speed Limits
If an officer is not in an emergency response: They must obey posted speed limits. Speeding without lights/siren = illegal.
3. T.C.A. § 55‑8‑199 — Tennessee Hands‑Free Law
This applies to everyone, including law enforcement, unless they are:
- actively responding to an emergency
- or performing official duties requiring communication equipment
If they are just driving around: They cannot hold a phone. They cannot text. They cannot record video. Your dashcam footage of phone use is legally meaningful.
4. T.C.A. § 55‑8‑123 — Failure to Maintain Lane
Crossing the white line or center line without cause is a violation. If they are not in an emergency: They must stay in their lane. They cannot drift or cross into oncoming traffic. Your footage of lane violations is valid evidence.
5. T.C.A. § 55‑8‑136 — Due Care / Reckless Driving Standard
This statute requires all drivers to operate with “due care.” For officers not in an emergency: They must not drive recklessly. They must not endanger life or property. This applies even if they are on duty.
6. T.C.A. § 55‑10‑205 — Reckless Driving
If an officer: speeds excessively crosses lanes uses a phone drives aggressively …while NOT in an emergency, they can be charged with reckless driving just like any civilian.
Now that we have covered how law enforcement officials are acting like they are above We the People, let’s see how we can correct their behavior under the law.
What WE can legally do as a citizen
WE cannot “correct” an officer directly — that could escalate or be unsafe. But we can rely on the above statutes to:
Document violations (dashcam, timestamps, location) File written complaints (even though we all know that doesn’t go far, but it can help if we put a TPRA records request in) Request records under TPRA (Tennessee Public Records Act) Build a pattern of conduct Report to oversight bodies (POST, Comptroller, DOJ) Use the evidence in civil rights filings Publish your own videos and documentation on a website (safely and factually)
You are not enforcing the law — you are documenting violations of it, which is fully legal.
Why your documentation matters When a law enforcement agency: ignores complaints fails to log them claims “no such records exist” …that is evidence of a systemic failure, not a dead end.
Your dashcam footage + their lack of records = a pattern of deliberate indifference, which is exactly what outside oversight bodies look for.
If you require any help with you documentation or have questions about how to do any of the above, please feel free to contact me at
Government Accountability 