PALATKA, Fla. – A 36-year-old man from Palatka has been identified as the driver who plowed a pick-up truck into the crowd at a block party, injuring multiple bystanders and damaging several vehicles, including a patrol car, the Palatka Police Department said.
Police said La’zayus Bartley will be charged with two counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding with injuries. They said the incident is still under investigation and more charges could be added.
The incident, which sent multiple victims to area hospitals, began at around 8 p.m. at the intersection of North 20th Place and Eagle Street, according to the Palatka PD.
Officers said a man, later identified as Bartley, drove through the crowd, striking multiple bystanders and vehicles in the area, and officers who were working at the block party tried to stop him.
Palatka PD said Bartley drove away but returned moments later, crashing into a patrol vehicle and hitting more people and other cars.
Police said that’s when officers started firing at the truck, which crashed.
Video circulating on social media shows the moments when officers fired at Bartley, who crashed the truck and was then taken into custody, according to police.
Bartley was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for his injuries. He is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said they know Bartley and are shaken by what happened.
“When I was on my way back, the shooting started, and then I was like, worried about my kids, my grandkids, and really everybody that was going to come see what was going on, but ducking at the same time now,” the neighbor said. “It happened to be the police shooting at one of my friends, like, I don’t know what could have happened to him. Somebody might have laced him with something, I don’t know. But he don’t act like that. And I learned that it was he who was getting shot.”
Multiple other people were also transported to hospitals, though the extent of their injuries has not been released. At least one man told News4JAX that his granddaughter was one of the bystanders struck by the truck, and she suffered a broken leg, but is expected to be OK.
At this time, there are no reported injuries to any law enforcement personnel.
The crowd dispersed from the scene, with an estimated 1,000 people regrouping at the Middleton Shopping Center at 18th and Reid streets, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
“There is a large law enforcement presence in the area, including Palatka Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and our deputies to disperse the crowd,” the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Saturday night.
The officer involved shooting investigation is being handled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
The two officers who fired their weapons have been put on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, which is standard practice.
Police said that once booked, Bartley will be held on a $300,000 bond.