A driving under the influence charge against a Chattanooga police lieutenant has been dismissed Thursday, according to the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office.
Lt. Joseph Carpenter, who was off duty at the time, was arrested in mid-October after a state trooper pulled him over for speeding, crossing the yellow line on the left side of the road and driving with his headlights off at 1 a.m.
In dash camera footage showed in court during a preliminary hearing, Carpenter is seen losing his balance while performing one field sobriety test, Times Free Press news partner WRCB-TV reported.
Carpenter told the trooper he drank two beers that night, and he failed several field sobriety tests before being placed under arrest.
But a standard test later revealed his blood-alcohol content was .06%, district attorney spokesman Bruce Garner said. In Tennessee, a person’s BAC must be .08% or higher to be considered legally impaired.