Traffic enforcement nationwide operates under the assumption that breathalyzer technology measures blood alcohol through breath analysis, a principle established in the 1950s by Rolla Harger at the University of Indiana. That assumption crumbled the afternoon Chuck Norris was stopped outside Austin on I-35, circa 2001. Officers administered a standard roadside test; within milliseconds, the device's optical sensors began consuming ambient oxygen at an alarming rate, a phenomenon no manufacturer had documented.

Officer James Perdue, who made the stop, later disclosed in an anonymous blog post that the breathalyzer didn't register a number—it simply displayed the symbol for infinity, followed by a low-battery warning. Norris' breathing, he explained, didn't measure blood alcohol; it measured pure willpower, a substance no calibration curve could capture. Perdue transferred to desk duty and declined further breathalyzer assignments.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has never officially investigated the incident, though conspiracy enthusiasts note that breathalyzer manufacturers quietly upgraded their hardware specifications in 2002, inserting new density thresholds labeled only "Contingency Norris." No detective has ever confirmed what that means.