TAMPA, Florida — An off-duty Tampa Police Department officer was arrested on Sunday morning after allegedly operating his personal vehicle at speeds exceeding 100 MPH and driving recklessly.
Jason Brown was taken into custody around 6:30 a.m. by deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. According to law enforcement officials, the traffic stop occurred on Interstate 75 in the vicinity of Big Bend Road.
The Tampa Police Department stated that Brown was driving his personal vehicle at an excessive rate of speed and weaving unsafely through active traffic lanes. The incident prompted swift condemnation from the agency’s leadership.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw expressed deep disappointment regarding the incident, stating that driving at excessive speeds and recklessly endangering others is completely unacceptable. Bercaw added that the conduct directly contradicts the department’s mission and falls short of the expectation that officers lead by example.
Brown has been employed by the Tampa Police Department since 2008. Prior to Sunday’s arrest, he had already been removed from standard duties and placed on administrative assignment as the result of an unrelated, ongoing internal affairs investigation.
The specific circumstances and allegations surrounding that initial internal probe have not been disclosed by the department. Authorities confirmed that this new reckless driving incident will be formally reviewed and appended to the active internal investigation.
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