By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, March 05, 2026

Popular Tennessee Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Lebanon has denied being arrested on Tuesday for driving on a suspended or revoked license despite Wilson County Sheriff’s Office records showing he was charged with a criminal misdemeanor.

Police records show the intake time for Locke at the Wilson County Jail as 12:52 p.m. He was released six minutes later at 12:58 p.m. on his own recognizance. He was also photographed for a mugshot and officially entered into the jail's records. But Locke insists he wasn’t “arrested.”

“To everyone jumping on a silly bandwagon, I did not get arrested today, or EVER. I went to the booking room voluntarily with my counsel because my license was unknowingly suspended over not sending in proof of insurance after I paid a ticket months ago,” Locke wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

“It’s seriously not a big deal. I have a court date on March 23rd to prove that I did and do have insurance. Simple as that. Doesn’t even go against my record. Just something else for people to talk about.”

Police sources told The Tennessean that Locke was stopped on Feb. 10 at a gas station on South Mt. Juliet Road, where it was discovered that his driver's license had been suspended due to a failure to file proof of insurance connected to a Lebanon city court case in April 2025.

He was issued a state citation instead of an arrest, which allowed him to turn himself in voluntarily at a later date to complete the required booking and fingerprinting.

According to the Nashville law firm, Ridings Law Group, many people erroneously believe that a criminal citation isn’t a legal arrest.

“If you’ve been issued a state criminal citation in Nashville, TN, it means that law enforcement has charged you with a criminal offense, but instead of physically arresting you, they are giving you a citation to book yourself and later appear in court,” the firm explains.

“Many people think they have not been arrested if they get a citation. But this is incorrect.  You actually ‘have’ been arrested.  You have just not been physically taken to jail and booked. You get the citation because you qualify to book yourself later,” the firm adds. “This is typically for less serious offenses, such as misdemeanors, infractions, or violations of local ordinances.”

On Thursday, Locke said he had already “atoned” for not producing his insurance when required, and his license was reinstated “in less than 48 hours.”

“To all of the ‘concerned citizens,’ aka, silly busybodies, I got my license back in less than 48 hours. The horrific crime of insurance paperwork has been atoned for. Oh yeah, it was proven I had insurance the entire time,” he wrote on Facebook.

In January, Tyler Poole, 21, of Hermitage, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault and two counts of reckless endangerment related to a Sept. 3, 2024, shooting at Locke’s former home on Chandler Road in Mt. Juliet.

Poole reportedly blasted the outspoken pastor’s home with more than 60 gunshots. He was sentenced to five years in prison on the aggravated assault charge, plus two years each for the reckless endangerment charges.

Locke stated that he believes the Lord slowed his family down while they were driving home from Pigeon Forge on the night of the shooting and painted Poole as a “madman.”

In a statement to The Christian Post, Locke said his children could have died after the Wilson County District Attorney’s Office revealed the shooting was sparked by a “beef” between the shooter and his 17-year-old stepson.

"It was my family and our home, so it had everything to do with me. I’ve never claimed it was over my preaching. I said, and still say, when you’re making the devil angry, he fights you," Locke said. "My kids could have died, so the WHY means absolutely nothing to me. It only means something to critics and liars looking for 15 minutes of fame."

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-greg-locke-denies-arrest-despite-booking-record.html