BOZEMAN — A pregnant woman from Sheridan is claiming she was wrongfully arrested by the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) for allegedly driving under the influence during a traffic stop near Bozeman.
"I was just pretty shocked. And I constantly told him I'm pregnant, and I haven’t drunk in probably eight months," says Alyssa Johnson.
Alyssa is a photographer from Sheridan who, at 22 weeks pregnant, was pulled over by an MHP trooper on Dec. 1, 2024, for an alleged traffic violation.
"I have a stutter, and he thought I was slurring so he pretty much said can you step out of the car? Made me do all these kinds of tests," says Alyssa.
Alyssa explains that she has severe dyslexia, which makes understanding directions, and completing any sort of test, difficult.
"I mean, Alyssa, when she was in school, she used to have extra time to take an exam and she’d have questions read to her," explains Alyssa's husband, Tim Johnson.
Alyssa says in addition to her mental handicap, she was in a state of panic during the traffic stop — affecting her ability to give a proper breathalyzer result.
"They were saying that since I couldn’t breathe through the breathalyzer and the testing wasn’t doing good, they arrested me and pretty much took me to the hospital for more blood work," she says.
A written statement by her therapist confirms Alyssa's dyslexia diagnosis.
Following the incident, the couple got a third-party blood test — because the one conducted by law enforcement could take up to eight weeks to return.
The blood test, provided by the Johnsons, shows negative for any type of drug.
Alyssa says, "I take a prenatal, an aspirin for my blood pressure, and stuff for my heartburn, like Tums. Just like simple stuff."
Tim explains that in addition to expecting their second child, they’re currently building a home — making the cost of bail and towing a hard hit on finances.
"We have a budget to stick to and the budget doesn’t include any unexpected costs like this," Tim told MTN.
Tim says this is an opportunity for police to receive better training on mental impairments and hopes that charges will be dropped from Alyssa's record.
"And I understand they have to do their job too. I mean, support police. But this wasn’t right to do," she says.
The couple says they have filed a formal complaint with the Montana Highway Patrol.
A response provided by MHP's Sergeant John Metcalfe reads, "The case is still open as we are awaiting toxicology results. It would be premature to comment further."
