DUI: Nashville Firefighter Justin Blackburn says police shouldn’t arrest him, out of respect; just follow him home

DUI: Nashville Firefighter Justin Blackburn says police shouldn’t arrest him, out of respect; just follow him home

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This story is brought to you by Scoop: Nashville as part of the #bspotter / #VisitMusicCity series which features tourist and downtown-related arrests in Music City.

 

29-year-old Nashville Firefighter Justin Blackburn was driving 60 mph in a 40 mph zone on Dickerson Pike and swerving out of his lane multiple times as police pulled him over just before midnight Wednesday. Blackburn, who reeked of alcohol, made jokes about “eating cookies while driving,” denied drinking any alcohol, and later admitted his cookies joke wasn’t funny. After failing field sobriety tests, and as he was being placed into custody, Blackburn began to make it known he was a Nashville Fire Fighter and repeatedly stated he should be shown respect and the officer should just follow him home instead of arresting him.

Justin Blackburn (MNPD)
Justin Blackburn (MNPD)

Inside the vehicle, officers found an empty 24oz can of Bud Light Platinum and an empty 12 oz can of hard seltzer. Once in the back of the car, Blackburn says he had “one beer, maybe 5-6, or 4, or 3, or maybe 2 hours ago.” He also admitted to drinking mimosas earlier in the day. He was transported to Metro General for a blood draw and then to booking.

Nashville Fire Department Spokesperson Kendra Loney declined to comment on the arrest, stating that the GOPD Officer made a typo on the date in one place on the arrest warrant narrative, so she claims it was a future dated incident that she, therefore, can’t comment on. She was also adamant that he only said he is only a “Firefighter” and not necessarily a “Nashville Firefighter,” despite the fact he is, in fact, a Nashville Firefighter 2 on the Metro Nashville Fire Department payroll, making $53,051.96 per year.

Justin Kenard Blackburn was booked into the Metro Nashville Jail on July 21st, charged with driving under the influence (DUI). A judicial commissioner set his bond at $2,500, and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office gave him pre-trial release from their facility.

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