CARYVILLE, TN (WLAF) – On Saturday Caryville Police were dispatched to Howard Baker Highway near the city limits in reference to a male with a possible mental status change.

When officers arrived they found Nicholas J. Patenaude, of Loveland, Colorado, in the driver’s seat of a 2015 black Infinity SUV.  He was making erratic movements and hanging out side the window of the vehicle, which was running.  After being instructed to exit the vehicle, Patenaude continued to “make erratic movements and became very belligerent,” according to the police report.
He became “aggressive and incoherent when told to place his hands on the vehicle to be frisked for weapons. During the frisk, he stated he had been “doing meth for days.”  According to the police report, Patenaude continued to make statements such as “helicopters were surrounding him, his hotel room was bugged and there were drug dealers around.”  After several minutes of officers attempting to calm him, he finally agreed to sit on the ground and let on scene the Campbell County EMS to check his vitals.  He then became aggressive and violent towards EMS and they refused to transport him to the LaFollette Medical Center to be evaluated for booking into jail due to his behavior.
Caryville officers arrested the 35-year old Patenaude on DUI, but no field sobriety test could be given “due to his behavior and non-compliance,” according to the arrest report.  According to the report, Patenaude refused to lie in the prone position with his hands behind his back.  He continued to resist arrest and would not allow officers to handcuff him until a taser was deployed into his thigh.  Patenaude was then cuffed with no further issues and transported to the hospital for evaluation.
At the hospital, Patenaude continued to resist medical staff during a blood draw.  When Caryville officer Jason Shears was attempting to help him back into the hospital bed, Patenaude kicked him.
Patenaude was charged with DUI, violation of the implied consent law, resisting arrest and assault.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/24/2020-NOON)

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