Courtesy photo. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was being investigated in October on allegations of driving around West Volusia to see if he could find Sheriff Ben Johnson driving under the influence, a claim the sheriff denied.
DELAND -- A Florida Highway Patrol trooper is under investigation for allegedly targeting Sheriff Ben Johnson by looking for him on the roadways of West Volusia to see if he was driving under the influence.
Johnson was quoted indirectly in an Oct. 18 story in the Daytona Beach News-Journal with the following: He admitted to having a drink now and again but not as frequently as people may perceive. He said he was certain he has not been impaired when he got behind the steering wheel.
The News-Journal said the investigation into trooper Jason Brooks, 37, was prompted by a complaint to the Florida Highway Patrol by what Johnson deemed a "very serious threat," if true, adding he learned of the trooper's alleged intentions in a memo in September from one of his own sergeants. Brooks has received commendations for his arrests of 30 drunken drivers in one month alone. The investigation is ongoing and the trooper has not been put on administrative lead.
Johnson also told the newspaper that he was concerned the trooper's actions, if true, could be politically motivated since he was up for re-election against FHP Lt. Kevin Vaughn. Regardless of the adverse publicity, Johnson crushed his opponent in the November elections for a third consecutive term.