PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper arrested a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy for Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
At approximately 9:36 p.m. on Saturday, FHP responded to a traffic crash that occurred on I-275 near Fletcher Avenue in Tampa, where 33-year-old Christopher Cook side-swiped another vehicle.
According to FHP, Cook showed signs of impairment that included slurred speech, glossy eyes, a strong odor of alcohol from his clothing and breath, and difficulty describing actions that led to the accident. Cook agreed to perform Field Sobriety Tests, but performed poorly on them.
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Following the Field Sobriety Test, Cook was transported to the Orient Road Jail, where he refused a breathalyzer test.
Cook was charged with one count of Driving Under the Influence with property damage or personal injury.
There were no injuries as a result of the crash.
Cook was hired by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on September 22, 2014.
He worked as a deputy in the Patrol Operations Bureau. His employment was immediately terminated following the arrest, which is consistent with Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office policy.
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