WBIR Channel 10 reporter Noah Noble walks viewers through a bizarre traffic stop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where police arrested a Mississippi officer for DUI after a night that resembled a bad vacation story rather than a professional training trip.
According to Noble’s report and the body-camera footage he highlights, the man arrested was Gulfport Police Sergeant Joseph James Prine Jr.
Noble explains that Prine was in Gatlinburg for out-of-state training described as an FBI leadership course. The arrest occurred just before 10 p.m., following a traffic stop about an hour earlier.
Noble’s video shows Prine arriving at the police station in handcuffs, leaving little doubt that this was not a quiet internal matter. Officers from another state handled the situation, and body cameras captured everything.
What makes the incident stand out is why Prine was stopped. He was not pulled over for a minor traffic issue.
According to Gatlinburg officers shown in the footage, Prine was driving an unmarked black Ford Explorer with blue emergency lights activated and a siren blaring, as if responding to an active call.
What Officers Say They Saw on the Strip
Noble reports that Gatlinburg police said the Explorer moved through traffic in a way that forced drivers to yield, with Prine passing vehicles that pulled aside.
Police also said he briefly drove on the wrong side of the road before shutting off the lights as he passed a Gatlinburg officer. That move immediately drew attention.
Officers stopped him near Anakeesta. Noble points out that the vehicle was city-owned and unmarked, which matters because it was not a personal or rental vehicle. It was a government vehicle operating emergency equipment without authority in another state.
On body-camera footage, the initial interaction seems casual. An officer greets Prine with “Hello” and “Hey buddy,” suggesting they were still assessing the situation.
That tone changes quickly. Another officer on the passenger side spots open beer cans inside the Explorer and audibly questions why alcohol is inside a government vehicle.
Prine attempts to explain himself, but officers appear unconvinced. When asked if he had been drinking, one officer responds bluntly, “Oh yeah,” making it clear the issue was no longer in doubt.
Prine is asked to step out of the vehicle. Noble notes that Prine admits to drinking, saying he had “a couple beers” at Jason Aldean’s bar. When pressed, he says “three or four,” then tries to walk it back.
That back-and-forth becomes critical during a DUI stop, where credibility matters.
The Search Turns Up More Than Beer
Noble’s report goes beyond the open containers. When officers search the Explorer, the situation escalates.
According to Noble, Prine tells officers there is a gun in the center console and a knife in his pocket. Officers locate the firearm, which later results in a charge for possession of a gun while intoxicated.
Then comes the detail that caught widespread attention: “moonshine pickles.” Officers find an open jar inside the vehicle. The seal is broken, and it is not an unopened souvenir.
The scene sounds almost unreal—emergency lights, beer cans, a firearm, and a jar of liquor-soaked pickles—but it happened on public roads in a busy tourist town.
In the footage Noble shares, officers administer field sobriety tests, including balance and walking exercises. The outcome makes the next step inevitable.
“All right, man, if you’ll go and put your hands on your back for me,” an officer says, signaling the arrest.
Breath Test Refused, Blood Test Accepted
Noble reports that Prine refused a breath test at the scene. In Tennessee, officers immediately explain the consequences of that decision.
Under the state’s implied consent law, refusing a breath test results in a license suspension. When asked about a blood test, Prine agrees.
The blood sample was sent for analysis, and Prine was charged with three misdemeanors: driving under the influence, open display or open container of alcohol, and possession of a gun while intoxicated.
Noble adds another troubling detail. The Explorer’s VIN traced to a 2015 Ford Explorer, but it did not list an owner or agency, even though Prine said it belonged to the Gulfport Police Department.
Prine also had a passenger. Body-camera footage shows officers detaining the man on a disturbing the peace citation before later taking him to jail for safety reasons after he admitted he could not drive.
The Department Back Home Responds
After the arrest, attention shifted to how Prine’s department would respond.
Noble reports that the Gulfport Police Department placed Prine on leave while conducting an internal investigation. The Mississippi Board of Law Enforcement Officer Standards also confirmed it is reviewing the incident.
In a statement quoted by Noble, Gulfport Police Chief Adam Cooper says the arrest occurred on the evening of December 2, 2025, while Prine was off-duty and attending out-of-state training.
Cooper confirms Gatlinburg police charged Prine with misdemeanor offenses and says Prine remains on personal leave during the internal review.
While the statement emphasizes that Prine was off-duty, it also acknowledges that he was operating a city-owned vehicle, which raises serious concerns.
A Lawyer’s Take From Southern Drawl Law
The second perspective comes from Southern Drawl Law, where criminal defense attorney James White offers blunt commentary.
White describes Gatlinburg as a place where people come to “let their hair down,” including, in his view, officers who forget they are not above the law.
He emphasizes that Prine was attending an FBI leadership training course paid for by the City of Gulfport, calling that detail especially embarrassing.
White says a sergeant should be someone who calms situations, not someone who turns a tourist strip into a personal lights-and-siren show.
He also stresses jurisdiction, pointing out that Prine had no authority to use emergency equipment in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
White jokes about moonshine pickles from Old Smoky Distillery, but his underlying point is serious: emergency equipment is not a toy, and misuse can get people hurt.
He credits Gatlinburg police for not giving Prine special treatment and charging him as they would any other person: DUI, open container, and firearm possession while intoxicated.
White also criticizes Prine’s decision to participate in field sobriety tests, saying he “should have been smart enough not to take” them if he believed he was in trouble.
Toward the end, White speculates that Prine could be fired and lose his certification, though he acknowledges outcomes vary depending on internal investigations.
Why This Story Resonates
This case drew attention because it blends law enforcement authority with poor judgment, alcohol, and ego.
The irony is hard to ignore. Prine was attending FBI leadership training, and both Noble and White repeatedly return to that word—leadership—as the most glaring contradiction.
The moonshine pickles detail, while humorous on the surface, makes the situation vivid. People do not just hear “DUI.” They picture flashing lights, a blaring siren, a jar in the console, and a gun nearby.
Another uncomfortable element is fairness. White notes that Gatlinburg police did not give Prine special treatment, which matters for public trust.
If the public is expected to accept enforcement, then enforcement must apply equally, even when the person in handcuffs knows the procedures.
For Gulfport and other agencies watching closely, this incident serves as a reminder that professionalism is not permanent. It must be earned daily, and it can disappear in a single reckless hour—especially when someone flips on blue lights and assumes they are untouchable.
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