A homeless man was arrested Monday morning for the alleged battery of a firefighter.
Kelly Youngblood Jr., 73, was at the Sunoco gas station located at 528 NW 8 Ave. A firefighter for the Alachua County Fire Rescue was treating him for a medical emergency when the incident happened around 7:40 a.m., on May 14, according to the Gainesville Police report.
They were reportedly inside the patient compartment of a rescue vehicle when Youngblood spontaneously used his closed left fist to strike the right side of the firefighter’s nose. According to the arrest report, the punch caused a headache.
Youngblood was then taken to the Shands emergency room where he was treated, GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias said. Youngblood was reportedly intoxicated.
Following his release from the hospital, he was promptly transported to the Alachua County Jail. Youngblood is still being held at the jail where his bond is set at $8,000.
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