WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A Sunday evening at the Winter Haven Recreation and Cultural Center took a dangerous turn when a man currently on probation for assaulting a police officer allegedly pulled a firearm on a concerned mother.
The incident began around 6:00 p.m. on May 3, 2026, when a juvenile called his mother to report that someone at the center was armed and looking for him.
Upon arriving at the scene, the mother began questioning people on the property to identify who was targeting her son. While the group initially denied any conflict, the situation escalated as she turned to leave.
According to police reports, 20-year-old Jermarius Julian lifted his sweatshirt and pulled a black 9 mm handgun from his waistband in full view of the woman. When she informed Julian that she was calling 9-1-1, he fled the area in a gray Kia. Multiple witnesses at the recreation center backed up the victim’s account of the brandishing.
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Winter Haven officers quickly flooded the area and located a man matching the victim’s description of the suspect’s clothing. Julian was positively identified and taken into custody without further incident.
Records show that Julian was already under the supervision of the state, serving probation for a violent history that includes aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, grand theft, and fleeing to elude.
Following this latest encounter, he now faces new charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and violation of probation.
Julian was transported to the Polk County Sheriff’s Processing Center, where he remains held as of Monday morning.
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