WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |THP recommends trooper who accessed records be terminated
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The Tennessee Highway Patrol has recommended the state trooper found to have made unauthorized background checks be terminated.
The Department of Safety served Lt. Ronnie Shirley with a "minimum due process letter for termination" Wednesday.
"I recommended to Commissioner Dave Mitchell that Lt. Shirley be terminated for gross misconduct and violating the public's trust as a Tennessee State Trooper," THP Colonel Mike Walker said, adding the recommendation was "based upon evidence developed during an investigation conducted by the Department of Safety's Office of Professional Responsibility and the Criminal Investigation Division."
Lt. Shirley was suspended last month after investigators said he used his position to conduct more than 180 background checks, some not authorized.
Wednesday evening, Lt. Shirley remained on administrative leave and was still being paid.
Shirley plans to appeal his termination.
His attorney spoke to News 2 late Wednesday.
"There's probably about 15 to16 different violations that had been listed but very little documentations to support those allegations," said Worrick Robinson. "I think the media and stir has caused the sudden pursuit of these allegations and his termination."
Last week, News 2 confirmed a former anchor was one of two journalists whose personal background was accessed by Lt. Shirley.
Victoria Hansen, who left WKRN-TV in 2006, told News 2 the THP confirmed with her an unauthorized check of her personal background was conducted.
She was not told why.
Hansen is the second named journalist on the list of 182 people.
To date the Department of Safety has interviewed 139 of those people. 132 said they did not authorize, request or consent Lt. Shirley to access their records.
The remaining individuals have either not been interviewed or have since died.
The list of names has not been made public.
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