KY sheriff charged with 3rd DUI in 2 years. ‘Not that drunk,’ he told deputy
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- Sheriff Terry Gray arrested for third DUI in under two years after chase
- Court records show BAC 0.226, speeding over 110 mph, and resisting tests
- Gray faces aggravated DUI, misconduct, wanton endangerment and jail time
Robertson County Sheriff Terry Gray was charged Tuesday evening with his third DUI in less than two years after police say he drove more than 110 mph and nearly flipped his car multiple times.
Gray, 48, was arrested near Kentucky Route 11 in Mays Lick. He told Mason County sheriff’s deputies he was looking for a vehicle he had last seen near the Mason-Robertson county line on U.S. Route 68, and that he was “trying to find him,” according to court documents.
Members of the Mays Lick Volunteer Fire Department saw Gray speeding in a pickup truck with flashing blue lights activated and reported it to the sheriff’s office. A deputy also spotted Gray speeding, with lights and sirens activated, from his home on Helena Road.
Gray almost hit the deputy’s vehicle as the deputy pulled out of the driveway, according to court documents. The deputy followed Gray, who was driving more than 110 mph at times and almost overturned into an embankment off the right side of Helena Road.
Gray eventually stopped in a field by a private driveway after nearly flipping a second time. Court documents say Gray was wearing an official Robertson County Sheriff’s Office uniform and had a gun and handcuffs.
The deputy smelled alcohol coming from Gray, according to court documents. Another deputy later found a miniature bottle of Fireball whiskey in Gray’s pocket.
Gray initially declined to perform field sobriety tests and take a preliminary breath test, and he was taken to the Mason County Detention Center. Court documents say he later took a breath test and had a blood alcohol content level of 0.226, nearly three times the legal limit of .08 to drive.
Gray told a deputy he was “not that drunk,” court documents say.
In addition to aggravated DUI, Gray was charged with first-degree official misconduct, first-degree wanton endangerment and reckless driving. He remained at the Mason County Jail on Wednesday morning, according to jail records.
Gov. Andy Beshear sent Gray a letter Wednesday demanding that he resign within five business days. Beshear said he would move to remove him from office if he didn’t.
“We value the sanctity of law enforcement and the duty to uphold the law and serve and protect the communities that put their trust in their peace officers,” Beshear wrote.
In his two earlier DUI cases, Gray received two years of probation. He entered Alford pleas in both cases, a type of plea where a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict if the case proceeds.
Gray’s first DUI arrest happened in December 2023. Court documents said Gray drove his official marked cruiser while intoxicated and got into an argument with a Robertson County Schools employee.
In the second DUI eight months later, Gray overturned a tractor and acted erratically, according to his arrest citation. Gray got the tractor back upright, and then was arrested after a traffic stop on Main Street in Mount Olivet.
Gray was appointed sheriff in 2021 and was reelected the following year.
Robertson County is the smallest county in Kentucky, home to about 2,400 residents. It’s about 55 miles northwest of Lexington.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 10:42 AM.
