Tampa elementary teacher arrested on DUI

A Tampa elementary school teacher was arrested on a DUI charge after a traffic stop early Sunday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. (teamhcso.com) Deputies stopped Jacob Cohen, 35, in Tampa at 1:33 a.m. on April 19, 2026, and said they saw signs of impairment during the stop. Cohen agreed to field sobriety exercises, and deputies said he showed multiple indicators of impairment. (teamhcso.com) The sheriff’s office said Cohen refused to provide a breath sample and was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and refusal to submit to testing. Local TV stations identified him as a teacher at Davis Elementary School in Hillsborough County. (wfla.com) In Florida, a DUI case does not require a breath result if prosecutors try to prove a driver’s “normal faculties” were impaired. State law also says a refusal to take a lawful breath test can be used as evidence in court. (flhsmv.gov) Florida’s implied-consent law changed on Oct. 1, 2025. State guidance now says a first refusal to submit to a breath or urine test can trigger a second-degree misdemeanor charge, and the Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department says a first refusal also brings a one-year license suspension. (floridalel.info) The arrest drew extra attention because Cohen works in an elementary school, and school employees can face district review even when an arrest happens off campus. Patch reported that parents and district officials were reviewing his employment status as the criminal case moves forward. (patch.com) Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the agency’s release that “anyone who chooses to drive impaired is putting lives at risk.” The sheriff’s office said the case began as a routine traffic stop and ended with Cohen booked on the two charges. (teamhcso.com) As of April 22, 2026, public reporting on the case has centered on the arrest affidavit and sheriff’s release, not a court disposition. The next steps are the criminal case in Hillsborough County and any employment action the school district decides to take. (teamhcso.com)