"The one-time cop is one of those rare liberals in rural Middle Tennessee..."
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/tennessee-sheriff-defends-jailing-liberal-activist-for-posting-trump-meme-about-school-shooting
This isn't to disparage the motivations of Bushart, but only to illustrate social dynamics (I was going to say "small town" dynamics, but it's far from exclusive) of the "why don't good cops do something?"
CSB Time cliff notes, 100 percent guaranteed to not be accurate on details, as it's my brain recollecting-
I used to work for a trucking company that subcontracted with Union Pacific, hauling off rail, ties, and old track material being replaced for maintenence.
It was not uncommon for the locals to snatch recyclable stockpiles cuz we can only do so much so fast (and really niche, so figured company's getting paid) and hey! Free Shit for peeps who grew up on Dukes of Hazard.
Anyways, my boss comes across one of stockpiles in East Texas that he was about to load on a truck and it's getting pilfered.
"Hey! That's not yours!" (direct quote, probably)
Dude drives off.
Boss: Whatever
Sheriff car pulls up- " Hey! Was that guy stealing your shit?"
Boss: "Yeah, but it's no big deal"
Sheriff: "AW HELL NAW! He ain't getting away with that shit!!!"
*short flash forward*
The Sheriff, the thief, the judge (who all probably knew each other from high school) and my boss are in a courtroom with the judge asking my boss how he wants to handle this on the dl.
Boss: I dunno, I'm kinda scared and just wanna get outta here.
Somehow a deal was worked out that involved my boss getting some hunting dogs from the thief.
*flash forward years later when my boss came back to the site for some more track maintenence*
*Sheriff car pulls up, window rolls down*
Thief: Guess who's the the new sheriff now?
The Point- While Bushart is in the right, he probably fucked Weems' girlfriend in high school too.
Team Bushart