Former Commissioner's Arrest Raises Questions

   Police arrest a former Soddy Daisy Commissioner for DUI and police reports show he threatened the arresting officer's job. Also, rumors have spread through City Hall that Mayor Bob Privett tried to stop Eddie Dent's arrest. Mayor Privett confirmed to John Madewell he's heard the rumors, but says they are unfounded.

    During our research, we learned that Mayor Bob Privett did in fact come here to City Hall on the night that Eddie Dent was arrest. And Mayor Privett tells us he did not tell any officer not to arrest this man. Soddy Daisy's mayor told us Dent's wife called him and he called dispatch at City Hall.

  Mayor Privett says this is what he told the dispatcher, "Tell the officer, the sergeant on duty not to transport him until I can get up there and talk with Mr. Dent because he's claiming we roughed him up. And I wanted to see the marks and bruises that may be on him."

   Officer Blake Kincaid pulled the former Soddy Commissioner over at 9218 Dayton Pike. It was just after 10:30 the night of July 2nd. Officer Kincaid charged Dent with DUI and reckless driving, noting in his report he smelled alcohol inside the car. During the arrest, Officer Kincaid writes in his report "Dent took his right hand off his head and pushed his arm away."

The arresting officer says officers then took Dent's arms and cuffed him. Then, officer Kincaid says in his report, "Dent told him he was an important person, used to be a Commissioner for the City of Soddy Daisy, and told him he hoped he liked his job because it was history."

   Meanwhile, Mayor Privett told us he and Dent came into office together in 1997 and that he is a lifelong friend. But the Mayor says he did not try to stop his arrest. "I never spoke to the arresting officer. I spoke to his supervisor and asked him to make pictures. And the reason I did that is because yes there was some marking on his wrist but there was also some blue marks on his arms," Mayor Privett said.

   Both the mayor and the Chief of police say Dent was on the blood thinner Coumadin. The police chief says a local pharmacist told him it does cause blood to pool under the skin with minimal contact. Meanwhile, Dent's son Casey was also in the car. Officers arrested him for marijuana possession. The chief tells us the Mayor's involvement has not caused friction with officers. Chief William Lofits says Mayor Privett did not interfere at all in the arrest of Eddie Dent. He adds that his officers also did not abuse Dent.

   Court Clerk Sylvia Lovelady says Dent moved his case to August 19th, that's because he hired an attorney. And she says the arresting officer Kincaid is scheduled to be present.

   The mayor and chief tell us the mayor's comments to the dispatcher have been recorded. Both say Mayor Privett only tells them not to transport Dent until he had seen him. We asked for that tape, but the head of dispatch says it would take five hours to make a copy. We will pursue it on Monday. Late this afternoon, we spoke with Dent's wife and are waiting to hear Eddie Dent's side of this arrest.