East Ridge police officer receives short suspension

ERPD drops charges against suspect in December arrest

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) — The East Ridge Police Department recently suspended Officer Sam Roistacher after an incident that included an off-duty officer Andrew Carter back in December.

A neighbor’s son and a visitor, Kadron Locklin, were chasing a dog in Carter’s yard.

When Carter told Locklin to get the dog off his yard, Locklin called Carter a “pig” and referenced having “something” for him in his car.

From there, verbal altercations ensued.

Inside Locklin’s vehicle, East Ridge Police found a loaded Smith & Wesson 40 caliber pistol with a 30-round magazine and “a small amount of marijuana.”

Also in the car, according to Locklin, were two “mentally/developmentally challenged clients of Orange Grove Center.”

Locklin was charged with Aggravated Assault and two counts of Reckless Endangerment, but the former charge was dropped.

“The house where this party had come from, there had been some previous actions, I guess, from there,” said East Ridge Assistant Chief of Police Clint Uselton. “Some of the people living at the house had apparently beat on the officer’s door advising they were going to burn his house down at some point.”

At the scene, Officer Roistacher and Locklin cursed at each other.

Despite the “volatile” situation, Uselton says this is conduct that the East Ridge Police Department does not condone.

“We absolutely hold ourselves accountable,” Uselton said. “We have standards that we go by and we’re like anybody else — sometimes we fail to meet those standards. When we do, we hold ourselves accountable.”

Uselton says East Ridge Police reviewed the bodycam footage of the scene.

Roistacher received a one-day suspension from the department and must also take remedial training in Tennessee state law.

“He is aware that we have those standards,” Uselton said. “He’s aware that he failed to live up to them in that moment. He is regretful for some language he used. Again, a volatile situation, but again, we pride ourselves on maintaining control of ourselves during those situations.”

Uselton expects the remaining charges against Locklin to be dismissed by the district attorney.

He also says Chief of Police Stan Allen deemed the language used against Locklin as a need for “corrective action.”

Uselton says that action will be enacted as the department moves “forward.”