A former Tennessee police officer faces charges after allegedly tampering with evidence during a vehicle pursuit. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Connor Cooper is accused of intentionally shutting off his in-car video system and his body-worn camera in April 2024. Furthermore, he is accused of directing a trainee to do the same. The incident took place during his tenure with the Johnson City Police Department and occurred in the course of a pursuit.
The case was brought to the TBI in June 2024 by the 1st Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney, although Finney would later recuse himself from the case, leading to the appointment of Michael Dunavant as District Attorney General Pro Tem. Following the investigation, Cooper now faces indictment charges including two counts of Official Misconduct, one count of Tampering with Governmental Records. The Grand Jury in Washington County returned the indictment last Thursday.
After turning himself in, Cooper was booked into the Washington County Jail, with bond set at $3,000. It’s important to emphasize that the charges filed against him are currently only allegations and do not imply guilt. As with all cases of this nature, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
