PALATKA, Fla. — What began as a neighborhood celebration ended in chaos Saturday night after police shot a driver who drove his truck through a crowd gathered for a block party, injuring multiple people and damaging several vehicles in a Palatka neighborhood.
The incident happened near North 20th Place and Eagle Street during an annual community block party that neighbors said has been held for the past four years. By Sunday morning, debris and damaged vehicles still lined the streets as residents struggled to process what had happened.
Pieces of a truck’s taillight were still on the ground where neighbors say the chaos began. Just around the corner, several damaged vehicles remained.
Residents described the celebration as a yearly tradition organized each May to celebrate a local resident’s birthday.
“It’s a community event that everybody looks forward to,” said local resident Tniyah Hall.
According to witnesses, the atmosphere quickly shifted from festive to terrifying when a truck suddenly drove toward the crowd.
One neighbor said he was dancing on his truck bed when the suspect drove right past him, hitting his truck and several other vehicles before crashing into a group of people.
“Yeah, it was quick. It was quick,” one witness said. “All of a sudden, he came out of nowhere, and he was finna go in the crowd with the truck.”
Neighbors said the driver crashed into several parked vehicles while forcing his way through the area.
“When he hit my car, he had to back up,” one neighbor said. “He backed up a little bit and came right on through the little hole. There were other cars parked sideways in the road.”
A few moments later, gunshots were heard as police tried to stop the driver.
Palatka police said officers attempted to stop the driver, who initially fled the scene before returning a short time later and crashing into people and several vehicles, including a patrol car.
Officers were working at a block party near North 20th Place and Eagle Street around 8 p.m. Saturday when the suspect drove through the crowd, hitting people and vehicles in the area.
During the incident, officers shot at the suspect in an attempt to stop him. The suspect was later taken to a nearby hospital, where he is being treated.
Several residents said they were shaken by the violence that unfolded in their neighborhood.
“I don’t want to go through nothing like that again,” one neighbor said.
He continued to express concern for everyone involved, saying, “I hope you are all right. I hope everybody is all right.”
The suspect remains hospitalized and recovering. Officials said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the incident.
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