Nashville Officer Arrests Man with Drugs and Suspended License During Bicycle Stop

On the night of January 30, 2025, Nashville Patrol Officer Joshua Dorse conducted a traffic stop on a white male riding a bicycle without lights, in violation of Arkansas Code Annotated (ACA) 27-36-2. Officer Dorse made contact with the rider, identified himself, and informed him of the reason for the stop.

According to the affidavit, the rider, later identified as 56 year old Ellis Ray Grissom of Nashville, told Officer Dorse that he did not possess a driver’s license or identification card. A check of his information through the on-duty dispatcher revealed that Grissom’s driver’s license was suspended and that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

During the stop, Officer Dorse reportedly conducted a pat-down search of Grissom and found three white, oval-shaped pills which are believed to be Hydrocodone. While placing Grissom under arrest, Officer Dorse noticed a plastic bag containing a green, vegetable substance near where Grissom had been standing, which appeared to be marijuana.

Grissom was taken into custody and transported to the Howard County Detention Facility.

A review of Officer Dorse’s bodycam footage showed that the plastic bag of suspected marijuana was not on the ground during the initial stop at 11:22 p.m., but appeared five minutes later, at 11:27 p.m. This timeline was consistent with the moment Officer Dorse had Grissom stopped and in custody.

Grissom is currently facing charges related to the possession of a controlled substance and other outstanding warrants.