These were not Brad Fuson’s exact words, but it’s close: “In this job you do what you have to do to get the job done.”
Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Trooper Eric Bradley Fuson is in his third year as part of THP’s District 1 under the command of Capt. Stacey Heatherly. Three months ago, this young trooper, 27, was named as one of the district’s five public information officers (PIO). He is part of Troop D, working out of the LaFollette office on Highway 63. In addition to this PIO work, he helps patrol the three-county area of Anderson, Campbell and Scott counties and I-75 to the Kentucky state line.
He’s a native Kentuckian, reared in Pineville and a 2016 graduate from Pineville High School. Today, he and wife Jessica live in Jacksboro with their four cats. After high school he earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College (2016-18).
Brad Fuson
He worked security at Lincoln Memorial University for a short time before joining the Middlesboro Police Dept. on patrol in August 2019. In 2022 the Fusons moved to Campbell County and he began looking to make a lateral move in law enforcement.
“When I was in college I did two ride-alongs with a Kentucky state trooper and watched him, how he interacted with the public and how helpful he was,” Fuson said. “That made an impression.”
Once in Jacksboro he remembered when his family came to Knoxville from Pineville to shop and run errands and see doctors. He specifically recalls his memories of seeing THP troopers. “They were all neat, always, their vehicles and uniforms were spotless. We call that ‘being squared away’ and I was impressed,” Fuson says.
In early 2022 he applied to join the THP and was hired. He was coming from the Middlesboro PD so this was a lateral move for him, which meant he trained for 10 weeks in the THP Lateral Academy in Nashville vs. the usual 18-weeks in the THP Academy. He graduated on July 1, 2022.
Next came field training officer school and now he’s trained six new troopers for 10 weeks. He’s also a radar specialist and a child passenger safety restraint (car seats) technician. “Doing the field training with the new recruits is one of the most enjoyable things I get to do,” Fuson explained. “I guide them and get to see their confidence levels increase and that training makes me more comfortable dealing with people.”
Let’s rewind to this theme: “… In this job you do what you have to do to get the job done.”
And that includes changing flat tires blown out by various and sundry potholes on I-75. “During one of my recent shifts I changed seven tires in that one shift and I’ve gotten so good at it I can change them in less than 10 minutes,” he said. “And 95% of those are in Campbell County. Many times people had spare tires but no jacks, so I bought my own floor jack and a Craftsman drill for the lug nuts. About $800.”
And he’s not the only Troop D trooper doing this. “We joke about it and call ourselves the ‘THP Bristol Wannabe Pit Crew’ like the NASCAR teams that keep the race cars on new tires and full fuel tanks.”
Here’s just one example: In early January a man was traveling from Michigan with his three young daughters sleeping in the car. He hit a pothole. It was a cold and rainy night, Fuson remembers. “He didn’t have a jack and I got his tire changed so they could get going and he started crying.”
There is a large construction zone on both sides of I-75 near the Kentucky state line and Troop D works hard to slow down the cars and the trucks. Reduced speed signs of 55 mph are posted. Workers are busy. “They still come through going 80 and we can’t slow all of them down,” he says.
The troopers – no matter the troop and no matter the district – all have to work the accidents with fatalities. It gets to them. “Not long ago a teen driving on Stinking Creek Road hit a black bear and his pickup truck left the road and hit a ditch. He was ejected and died in the ambulance on the way to the UT Lifestar helicopter,” Fuson said.
A June 21, 2024, accident on Raccoon Valley Road is still fresh in his memory. A drunken driver lost control and hit a car head-on, killing the pregnant woman driving, her unborn child and an elderly female passenger. Fuson was the trooper who wrote the report on the accident.
It gets to these men and women who wear the THP badges.
“At first the fatalities didn’t get to me a lot, but after three years with Middlesboro and three years with the THP and seeing a lot them, they do get to you and affect you, especially when it involves children,” he explained. “It’s hard to talk about them. Just hard.”
Capt. Heatherly is a big fan of this young trooper. “Trooper Fuson’s positive influence and leadership truly strengthens the team. Having someone who uplifts the troopers and fosters camaraderie is invaluable to the success and morale of the Tennessee Highway Patrol,” Heatherly says. “I have watched him not only be a great trooper but a great friend to those he serves with.”
Fuson escapes the stresses by joining his wife on kayak trips down East Tennessee rivers like the Powell and on lakes – Cove Lake and Norris Lake to name two. They love the kayak paddling and they also fish from the kayaks.
Tom King has been the editor of newspapers in Texas and California and also worked in Tennessee and Georgia. If you have someone you think we should consider featuring, please email him at the link with his name or text him at 865-659-3562.
Our Town Hero is sponsored by Aubrey’s Restaurants.
