New details: Palatka man who struck block party crowd in pickup did donuts on bike path, drove wrong way on U.S. 17
Summary
Hit And Run Palatka Florida in Palatka, Florida: A 36-year-old Palatka man, Lazayeus Bartley, faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after police said he drove a maroon 2017 Chevrolet pickup truck onto a crowded block party at North 20th Street and Eagle Street on May 9, struck bystanders and patrol vehicles, and fled the scene of numerous crashes. According to a probable cause affidavit, Bartley had earlier threatened a woman with a firearm and pistol-whipped her before officers confronted him in his truck; he then locked the door and drove away as an officer approached. Officers followed the truck onto a nearby bike path, where the driver did donuts in an empty lot behind a dispensary before re-entering traffic, then drove the wrong way on U.S. 17 northbound in the southbound lane for roughly 2,000 feet. The truck struck a mailbox and yard ornaments, accelerated at high speed directly at Officer Dao's patrol vehicle, rammed and disabled it (trapping the officer inside, who escaped through the passenger side), then spun through yards and returned to the block party, where Lt. Johnson fired rounds into the driver's side of the truck after Bartley failed to comply.
Publicly reported parties
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lazayeus Bartley | Unknown | Unknown |