Newberry Man Arrested after Struggle for Gun

 

NEWBERRY – A Newberry man is behind bars after deputies say he hit a 15-year-old child with a rock in an altercation on Feb. 4.  Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the scene of a fight between 37-year old Kenneth Polk and another family member.  

A witness said that the two had gotten into an argument over a gun that the 15-year-old said he had found in Gainesville.  During the physical altercation, Polk shoved the child and took the gun from him in an attempt to dispose of it.  Polk then left the residence with the boy following him in an attempt to recover the weapon.  

The child chased Polk onto the railroad tracks at which point witnesses said Polk picked up a rock from the train track bed and threw it at the child, hitting him in the back of the head and causing a raised knot of approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.  

Polk fled the area but was located several hours later walking southbound along State Road 45.  Post Miranda Polk admitted to being involved in a physical altercation, but denied throwing a rock and claimed the 15-year-old was the primary aggressor.

Polk was subsequently arrested for child abuse and transported to the Alachua County Jail.

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