The City of Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department confirms that Captain Theodore (Ted) Pertiller has been cleared of all suspicion in two incidents arising at Station 3, 1511 Mercury Boulevard.

As previously reported in the news media, two marijuana cigarette butts were found on the station grounds on March 11, 2012, and were turned over to the Murfreesboro Police Department. On March 13, 2012, Captain Pertiller discovered an unknown brown substance in his locker while he was participating in a mandatory locker search with fire department officials as a result of the March 11 incident. 

As a result, Fire Administration placed Captain Pertiller on administrative leave with pay for a brief period of time, but he was soon returned to full duties and received no discipline over the matter. It was discovered that a co-worker had placed the brown substance in Captain Pertiller’s locker, without his knowledge, as a practical joke.

There was no connection between the marijuana cigarettes found on March 11 and the brown substance found in Captain Pertiller’s locker on March 13. Captain Pertiller was cooperative throughout the investigation and both the Police Department’s initial field drug testing results and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) analysis determined the substance was not unlawful.

As Captain Pertiller acknowledged in his words, “I am glad the matter was resolved because I wanted my name cleared. I voluntarily took two drug screenings, which were both negative. The media accounts of these events were misleading and placed me, my family, and the Department in a false light.”