DUI Charge Saturday Results In Pinellas Sheriff Firing Deputy

TAMPA, FL — A Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrested a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy and charged him with driving under the influence following a crash in Tampa Saturday. Afterward, he was fired by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

According to the sheriff's office, at 9:36 p.m., the highway patrol responded to a traffic crash on Interstate 275 near Fletcher Avenue in Tampa in which troopers said 33-year-old Christopher Cook sideswiped another vehicle.

According to the highway patrol, Cook showed signs of impairment including slurred speech, glossy eyes, a strong odor of alcohol on his clothing and breath and difficulty describing actions that led to the accident.

Cook agreed to perform a field sobriety test, but performed poorly, troopers said. Following the field sobriety test, Cook was taken to the Orient Road Jail where he refused a breathalyzer test.

He 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 Sept. 22, 2014. He worked as a deputy in the patrol operations bureau.