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Driver on Dale Mabry Highway claimed to have bomb in car, used drugs in front of officers: TPD

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Published  June 6, 2025 1:00pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Tampa police say Jeremy Johnson fell asleep Thursday evening at the intersection of N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and Columbus Dr.
    • Investigators say he claimed to have a bomb in the car, refused to get out and used drugs in front of officers.
    • Police eventually arrested Johnson and found no bomb in the vehicle.

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa police say the driver behind an explosives threat that shut down a stretch of Dale Mabry Highway on Thursday evening had fallen asleep behind the wheel and was woken up by officers before he claimed to have a bomb in his car.

The backstory:

The Tampa Police Department says officers responded to the intersection of N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and Columbus Dr. shortly after 6:30 p.m. after getting reports of a sleeping driver impeding the flow of traffic.

Police say they found Jeremy Johnson, 30, asleep inside the car, which was still running with the gear in reverse.

Courtesy: Tampa Police Department.

Courtesy: Tampa Police Department.

After officers woke him up, he refused to identify himself or get out of the car, according to TPD.

Investigators also say they saw drug paraphernalia "in plain view," which Johnson picked up and smoked out of while still in the car.

As officers tried to get Johnson out of the car and into custody, police say he claimed to have a bomb, causing investigators to shut down the southbound lanes of Dale Mabry between Tampa Bay Blvd. and Columbus Dr.

TPD says no bomb was found in the car, and Johnson was arrested about 25 minutes after officers first approached him.

Mugshot of Jeremy Johnson. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Jail.

Mugshot of Jeremy Johnson. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Jail.

What's next:

Johnson faces the following charges:

  • Possession of cocaine
  • Driving while license revoked (habitual offender)
  • Resisting an officer without violence
  • Possession of drug paraphernalia
  • Possession of drug without prescription
  • Driving under the influence

Hillsborough County Jail records show Johnson is being held on a warrant out of Pinellas County for violating probation in a felony battery case.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Jail records.

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