An off-duty Putnam County Sheriff's deputy is on administrative leave after state troopers arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence following a single-vehicle crash in neighboring Jackson County, authorities say.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol took Deputy Chase Carter into custody at the crash scene, and the Putnam County Sheriff's Office quickly sidelined him from duty while both criminal and internal investigations move forward. Sheriff Eddie Farris said no one suffered serious injuries in the wreck, which likely spared the department an even more serious crisis on the roadway.
According to WKRN, troopers were called out to the crash and later charged Carter with driving under the influence. The outlet reports the sheriff's office provided investigators with the initial timeline of events, and WKRN published a crash-scene photo credited to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's office responds
Sheriff Eddie Farris told WKRN he was “saddened by the behavior” of Deputy Carter and stressed that he was grateful no one was hurt. Not exactly the kind of headline any department wants to see, but Farris made clear he would let the investigation play out.
The sheriff's office confirmed Carter has been placed on administrative leave while the Tennessee Highway Patrol handles the criminal case and the department conducts its own internal review.
Officer background
According to information the sheriff's office shared with local media, Carter joined the department as a corrections deputy in May 2023 and moved to patrol duty on May 2, 2025. Those details, along with any formal updates from the agency, are available through the Putnam County Sheriffs Office newsroom.
What happens next
Carter faces a driving-under-the-influence charge and could be prosecuted in Putnam County courts; the Tennessee Highway Patrol is leading the criminal investigation, while the sheriff's office will decide any disciplinary action after its internal inquiry.
The department has separated deputies from duty in similar situations before. An earlier report noted that a Putnam County deputy was suspended during a DUI crash investigation in April, as reported by WCJB. Officials say they will release more information when court records or formal notices are filed in this latest case.
