NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Text messages and other communication released Tuesday night reveal two North Carolina State Troopers discussing the arrest of a woman for DWI in New Hanover County, with one trooper using harsh language.
The information, obtained by WECT through a public information records request, shows the troopers were in communication just minutes before a disputed traffic stop on the woman's husband as well. Both troopers are currently under investigation and on administrative duty.
The arrest of Gina Tessener from Raleigh has sparked the state investigation into whether Troopers Edward Wyrick Jr. and Andrew Smith harassed Tessener and her husband, Hoyt, who were visiting the area in June. Hoyt Tessener wrote Governor Perdue to ask for an inquiry into the trooper's behavior that night.
On June 21st, Mrs. Tessener was pulled over by Trooper Wyrick for a burned-out headlight. According to a DWI report, Trooper Wyrick stated he smelled alcohol and Mrs. Tessener refused to perform a field sobriety test. After taking her to the Wrightsville Beach Police Department to take a breathalyzer, Mrs. Tessener blew a 0.0 score twice on the tests.
At 12:03am on June 22nd, Trooper Wyrick uses his personal phone to text Trooper Smith's personal phone the following: "This woman refused all roadside testing, and blew .00. Her husband is a trial lawyer and told me I should be ashamed of myself."
12:05am, Trooper Smith to Trooper Wyrick: "Hahahaha f*** her and f*** him. She say how much she'd had to drink?"
12:07am, Trooper Wyrick to Trooper Smith: "She said 1 drink at 7pm."
12:07am, Trooper Smith to Trooper Wyrick: "F*** her."
According to the letter from Hoyt Tessener, around 12:15am, Trooper Wyrick escorted Mrs. Tessener to a magistrate in Castle Hayne at the New Hanover County Detention Center to be released from custody per regulation. Mr. Tessener explained in his letter that Trooper Wyrick said he could just follow him to Castle Hayne.
Video surveillance from the Wrightsville Beach Police Department shows Mrs. Tessener being escorted out of the booking room at 12:19.
On the way to Castle Hayne, Mr. Tessener's letter states that he stopped behind Trooper Wyrick at a stop light on 74 (Eastwood Road) near Landfall. After the light turned green, Tessener claimed Wyrick took off at a high rate of speed. Tessener says he didn't match the speed, but was pulled over a short time later by Trooper Smith. Tessener's letter claims that Wyrick was texting on his phone and looking anxiously in his rear and side view mirrors, however the public records request did not show any texts to Smith in that time frame. After pulling away from the stop light, Tessener's letter claims Wyrick told Mrs. Tessener, "Looks like your husband is being pulled over."
At 12:31am, Trooper Smith sent the following message to Trooper Wyrick over what's described as the Mobile Data Computer, which is a computer system in trooper vehicles: "TELL HIM IF HE WANTS TO COP AN ATTITUDE TO FEEL FREE AND COME BACK AND ILL STROKE HIM THAT SPEED."
At 12:33am, Trooper Wyrick wrote on the Mobile Data Computer to Trooper Smith: "HOW FAST"
Smith responds seconds later: "58" The posted speed limit in that area is 45.
In filing his DWI report on the arrest incident, Trooper Wyrick wrote about the traffic stop on Mr. Tessener, stating, "On the way to the jail, her husband got stopped by Tpr. Smith and she stated I set them up, but I never made contact with Tpr. Smith while enroute to the jail until after I verified he stopped her husband."
In answering WECT's public records request, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol Public Information Officer, First Sgt. Jeff Gordon, noted that questions would not be answered at this time due to the pending investigation.
Read related stories:
DWI report, surveillance video released in NC Trooper Investigation
NEW VIDEO: Inside the magistrate's office on disputed DWI arrest
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Text screen of Trooper Smith's personal phone, Source: NC State Highway Patrol
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