(WBIR - KNOXVILLE) - A Tennessee Highway Patrol lieutenant will be suspended for a day without pay next month after she sought a ride last fall while off duty from a trooper because she'd been drinking.
"I take full responsibility for my actions in October of last year, and I accept the disciplinary action taken by my department," Lt. Stacey Heatherly said in a statement released to 10News through the state Department of Safety. "I believe my decision to contact a co-worker for a designated ride, however, was the best alternative at the time. I would rather live with this disciplinary action than with the possible consequences of driving after consuming alcohol.
"I will continue to strive for excellence in both my personal and professional life and operate in an ethical manner that will reflect positively on me, my family, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol."
Trooper Jason Sherrod and Trooper Michael Heatherly have also received written warnings in connection with the incident.
In March, 10News received a letter from "Concerned group of citizens" describing a situation in which Heatherly wanted to "get a ride home from a UT football game."
Also in March, someone distributed anonymously a statement that purported to detail what happened at the Calhoun's on the River restaurant in October. According to the statement, it happened "during a University of Tennessee football game."
The tip went to THP's Inspectional Services Bureau, according to Department of Safety spokeswoman Dalya Qualls.
According to the statement, a copy of which THP forwarded to 10News, the tipster identified Stacey Heatherly and Sherrod as being at the restaurant. They were part of a group.
The writer claimed to know the two and recognized that they had been in court in Knox County before.
The tipster said Stacey Heatherly had summoned a trooper "to come pick her group up."
According to Qualls, THP looked into the complaint and has now completed its investigation. Heatherly is being disciplined for "conduct unbecoming a state employee and violation of department procedures governing the usage of state vehicles," according to an email from Qualls.
The suspension will be served May 5, according to the state.
"This is her first disciplinary action during her tenure with the Tennessee Highway Patrol," according to Qualls.
Michael Heatherly is Stacey Heatherly's spouse.
Stacey Heatherly was promoted to Troop A lieutenant in Knox and Union counties in 2013. She became a trooper in 1998, according to the Department of Safety.
In 2009, while working as a sergeant, she was assigned as the first commissioned public information officer for THP, according to the Department of Safety. Her hometown is Jacksboro, according to the state.
