POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 34-year-old Lakeland woman faces multiple criminal charges after a Wednesday night traffic stop led to a physical struggle with a deputy and the discovery of narcotics, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies pulled over a red 1998 Ford Ranger around 10 p.m. on August 12, 2026, near 14th Street West in Lakeland. Investigators identified the driver as Jermilla Ashaunita Brown and discovered that her driver’s license had been suspended since 2018.
When the deputy ordered Brown to step out of the pickup truck and place her hands behind her back, she refused to comply. According to the arrest report, Brown told the deputy, “I can’t go back to jail, I’m out on pretrial for possession of cocaine right now.”
Brown pushed the deputy while being placed in handcuffs, but the deputy managed to secure her and take her into custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up a glass pipe containing cocaine inside the center console.
Following the arrest, Brown reported experiencing stomach pain and told deputies she was pregnant. Authorities transported her to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation, where medical staff confirmed she was not pregnant.
Deputies then booked Brown into the Sheriff’s Processing Center. She is charged with second-offense driving with a suspended or revoked license, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, resisting without violence, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sheriff’s office records show Brown’s prior criminal history includes charges for fraud, receiving stolen property, grand theft, felony petit theft, petit theft, escape, cocaine possession, drug paraphernalia possession, driving with a suspended license, resisting without violence, failure to appear, and probation violations.
READ: Sanford Man Jailed In Polk County After School Bus Break-In And Death Threat, Deputies Say
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