PCSO Press Release:
On Sunday evening, February 9, 2020, PCSO arrested and charged 49-year-old Jeff Gulden of Riverview with one count DUI (M1). Gulden told deputies upon his arrest that he is a teacher at Kathleen High School.
According to the affidavit, around 9:15 p.m., a PCSO deputy on patrol noticed an SUV pulling a camper eastbound on SR 60 in Mulberry – the camper did not have operable tail lights. The deputy conducted a traffic stop, and smelled the odor of alcohol coming from the driver (Gulden). Gulden displayed signs of impairment, including staggering while walking, swaying while standing still, slurred speech, and confusion. There were several empty cans of alcohol within the vehicle.
After Gulden was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail, he submitted to a breath test. His first breath sample tested at 0.228 blood alcohol content (BAC) and his second breath sample tested at 0.228 BAC. Both samples were over twice the legal BAC limit of 0.08. Gulden stated he felt like he was only at a “0.03 level.”
The camper being pulled behind Gulden’s SUV was confirmed stolen out of Hillsborough County. Please refer any inquiries about that to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is very disappointing – a teacher, who is supposed to be a positive role model for kids, driving under the influence and pulling a stolen camper.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Please refer all inquiries about Gulden’s employment to Polk County Public Schools.
