POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 31-year-old Lithia man faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after an altercation at a Frostproof business Sunday night led to a confrontation with law enforcement, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched around 8:48 p.m. on Aug. 16 to the Scenic Lagoon, located at 33 Scenic Hwy S., in response to a reported disturbance.
When deputies arrived, they found John Jay White Jr. on the sidewalk shouting and attempting to push his way back inside the establishment while other patrons held him back. Investigators determined that White had struck a patron in the face inside before the incident moved outdoors.
The victim had left the scene prior to deputies’ arrival. The altercation prompted the business to close early for the night.
According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy attempted to step in and de-escalate the situation, at which point White pushed the deputy backward.
Deputies took White into custody and transported him to the Sheriff’s Processing Center. After removing him from the patrol vehicle, deputies found that White had attempted to conceal packets of a controlled substance inside the car.
White has been charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, tampering with evidence, resisting without violence, disorderly intoxication, and possession of buprenorphine.
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