The 3rd & 4th BUIs achievements on Percy Priest Lake were unlocked this weekend by Derek Wyatt & Tina Richards on Saturday night, just hours apart.
Derek Wyatt
Derek Wyatt was the 3rd, as officers were patrolling at 5:40 PM, when they observed a vessel leaving Elm Hill Marina’s no-wake zone with no registration displayed. Upon stopping the vessel and finding Mr. Wyatt to be the operation, a safety check was performed, and a strong odor of alcohol was coming from his person. He was slurring his speech, had blood-shot eyes, and was having a hard time understanding & following instructions.
Mr. Wyatt stated he had “maybe 2 bud lights” within the last two hours. He was unable to properly buckle his own safety vest to board the patrol vessel to perform field sobriety tasks, and performed poorly on the tests. He was arrested & charged with Boating Under the Influence (BUI 29-9-217-A). Mr. Wyatt was then read the BUI Implied consent law and refused to submit to the test (69-9-217-F), so he was also charged with implied consent violation & Boating- ID Numbers Required. He posted a $3,000 bond via 1 Hour Bonding, and will appear in court on 06/14/18.
Wyatt even posted a photo of himself on the boat with #drunk on IG.
Tina Richards
Just a couple hours later, another board was observed on Percy Priest Lake that was not displaying its registration on the bow. Upon stopping the vessel, it was realized the registration was displayed closer to the middle of the vessel, against guidelines. Officers asked the operator for her safety equipment and she was very slow to get up out of her seat. She had a flush face and glassy watery eyes. There was also a yeti style cup at the driver console that had a drink that smelled like an alcoholic beverage. When asked about the cup she stated she did not know what was in it, only that it was a mixed drink.
The operator of this boat was 54 year-old Tina Marie Richards. She stated she had 3 beers to drink so far. She was then asked to put a life jacket on and come onto the patrol boat to perform FST. Her demeanor became very agitated, anxious, and paranoid while on the patrol boat. She had difficulty concentrating on what she was being askedto do, and performed poorly on the FST and was placed under arrest for BUI (TCA 69-9-217a). She was relased on the pre-trial-release program, and will appear in court on 06/11/18.
