KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – A Louisville, Tennessee man is facing charges after an almost two-hour “stand off” on Fort Loudoun Lake, according to an arrest report obtained by WVLT News.
It happened Saturday, when an officer on the lake stopped Justin Ford around 11:30 p.m. The officer said they were suspicious Ford had been drinking.
“Upon conducting the vessel stop, the operator proceeded to utter unusual statements about his destination and appeared to be evasive when I asked questions,” the report reads. The officer went on to say that Ford wasn’t able to provide the right boating registration and refused to put on a life jacket or board the officer’s boat for a field sobriety test.
“I asked ford for his vessel’s safety equipment and vessel registration, and he had difficulty remembering what I asked for,” the report said. “He did not produce the vessel registration when asked and produced additional items unprompted, such as the insurance information.”
Eventually, backup had to get involved, since Ford refused to cooperate, according to the report.
“After placing him under arrest, I repeatedly told ford to put a life jacket on and to board my vessel,” the report said. “He continued to refuse to comply with my orders until 1:22 a.m. on May 10, 2026, at which point 6 TWRA officers were on scene attempting to gain compliance and would eventually take him into custody.”
Ford was charged with BUI, implied consent, interfering or resisting a TWRA employee, violation of navigation light law, violation of vessel registration law and improper display of identification numbers.
