PALATKA, Fla. – The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office disputed what it called “rumors, lies and untruths” circulating online following a block party incident Saturday that left multiple people injured.
The pushback comes after a social media post went viral, accusing the sheriff’s office of ignoring a previous traffic incident involving the man involved, identified as Lazayeous Bartley, who investigators said drove a truck through a crowd of people at the block party.
A father posted online claiming Bartley struck his 15-year-old daughter with a car in February, seriously injuring her. The father also said the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office failed to arrest Bartley, calling the earlier incident a “hit and run.” He argued that had police arrested Bartley, he would not have been behind the wheel on Saturday.
The post was shared hundreds of times, and online comments were sharply critical of Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office publicly responded, saying it did not handle the February crash — the Palatka Police Department did, and Bartley was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“It has come to our attention that there is a blatantly false rumor circulating on social media regarding Lazayeous Bartley and a traffic crash involving a juvenile pedestrian on February 21, 2026,” the post said. " The crash was investigated by the Palatka Police Department, not the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. The case number is PPD26OFF000300."
News4JAX obtained the crash report that the sheriff’s office also posted to support its argument. According to the report, the teenage girl stepped into traffic at the intersection of St. Johns and South Palm Avenue while wearing headphones. The report stated Bartley had a green light when the crash occurred. Two witnesses backed up that account, and the pedestrian was listed as at fault.
The sheriff’s office also said Bartley remained at the scene and did not leave after the crash.
Law enforcement said the February crash and the weekend incident are two completely separate investigations.
The Palatka Police Department declined to comment on the case, and the man who made the initial post did not respond to a request for an on-camera interview.
Bartley remains in custody following Saturday’s block party incident.
News4JAX asked for an update on the weekend incident. A spokesperson said there are two ongoing investigations with a significant amount of information to gather, review, and document. A full report is expected to be released within the next two weeks.