Another Tennessee “DUI” case with no alcohol ends in lawsuit

The charges were eventually dropped, but not before months of penalties.

A retired Federal Bureau of Investigation employee is suing the Knoxville Police Department after she was arrested for DUI, jailed overnight, and forced to install an ignition interlock despite toxicology tests later confirming she had no alcohol or drugs in her system, the latest in a rash of so-called “sober DUI” cases in Tennessee.

Allison Tsiumis, a retiree who spent over three decades working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was arrested on June 15, 2025, near the West Town Mall after a minor traffic accident.

According to the lawsuit filed Monday, an officer asserted that he smelled alcohol and initiated a series of field sobriety tests. Additionally, it claims that the officer improperly administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus and the Walk-and-Turn tests before arresting Tsiumis for allegedly driving under the influence.

Tsiumas consented to a blood test and no open containers, prescription medications, or drug paraphernalia were found in her car, according to the lawsuit. She remained in custody at the Knox County Detention Facility for more than 12 hours before being discharged after 2:30 a.m.

As part of a condition of her bond, Tsiumas was required to have an Ignition Interlock device and breathalyzer installed in her vehicle. The charge was dismissed on December 4, 2025, after the TBI’s official alcohol and toxicology report confirmed she had no alcohol or controlled substances in her system at the time of the arrest.

WATE

The charges were eventually dropped, but not before months of penalties. These false DUIs may help Tennessee officers meet a quota, but they are also incredibly destructive and disruptive to the lives of folks struggling to prove they weren’t under the influence.