MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- For the second time in as many years, video shot at a Rutherford County police sobriety checkpoint has gone viral and placed the mid-state at the forefront of a national debate concerning constitutional rights.
In July of last year, video shot of a confrontation between a driver and Rutherford County Deputieswent viral and has since been viewed on Youtube well over 5 million times.
Late last month another police checkpoint encounter was recorded in Murfreesboro. This second confrontation was also uploaded to youtube and as of this morning has been viewed more than 115,000 times.
The driver passed his sobriety test and was released.
Both the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the Murfreesboro Police Department released statements defending use of the checkpoints, saying they help get impaired drivers off the road.
WSMV-TV says both videos are the work of a local group of civil libertarians who believe the checkpoints violate search and seizure rights.