A judge has dismissed DUI charges against state Rep. Carson “Bill” Beck, D-Nashville, and police have released a video tape of his arrest, reports The Tennessean.
The more than 90-minute video starts when Officer Bradley Nave spots a pickup being driven partially in a center turn lane on Woodland Street in East Nashville. It ends with Beck being booked into the Criminal Justice Center downtown.
In it, Beck tells his wife to call a Davidson County sheriff’s administrator after his arrest and addresses questions about his residency, an issue that has come up before for the freshman legislator.
On Tuesday, Cheatham County Judge Phillip Maxey dismissed Beck’s DUI case saying straddling the lanes was not enough evidence for the officer to stop Beck. Maxey was brought in to hear the case. Police released the dashcam video Tuesday after it was requested by The Tennessean.
In the arrest video, Beck starts but does not complete sobriety tests and says he has had nothing to drink. Beck appears to sleep at times in the back of a patrol car when waiting for his wife to pick up his truck and on the way to jail.
He also tells his wife, “Pam, call John Taylor and tell him I’m in his jail.”
According to the Davidson County sheriff’s website, Taylor is the chief warrant officer and an administrator in the department. He also works as the agency’s state legislative and Metro Council liaison, according to the website.
In the dashcam video, Officer Nave asks for Beck’s license and proof of insurance. In an exchange with Nave, Beck says he lives in Nashville. But Nave said Beck’s insurance card shows a Hendersonville address in Sumner County.
“You live in Hendersonville or Nashville?” Nave asked.
“Nashville,” Beck replied, adding about the insurance card: “Must be an old one.”
Beck, who was elected last year and represents parts of Davidson County, has faced scrutiny as to whether he actually lived in his district. In June 2014 the Davidson County Election Commission unanimously denied a request to remove Beck from the ballot; the request argued he actually lived in Sumner County. Beck acknowledges owning more than one home, but argued he lived primarily in the district.