High Springs man Sentenced To 12 Years in Prison, 2022 Assault on HSPD Officers

HIGH SPRINGS – A 36-year-old High Springs man’s guilty plea secured him a prison sentence of 12 years, stemming from an assault on two High Springs Police officers in March 2022. John Kyle Culp entered into a plea deal with the State on Aug. 27, 2024.

During the original incident, the High Springs Police Department responded to a suspicious person call, where Culp was offering nearby residents drugs and appeared to be impaired.

As two High Springs Police Officers approached Culp, he sat motionless in his vehicle and refused to identify himself or cooperate with the officers’ direction.

When the officers attempted to remove Culp from the vehicle with the door ajar, Culp put his vehicle in reverse, accelerated and struck and dragged the officers for a short duration.

Culp subsequently crashed his vehicle a few blocks from the incident and fled on foot, escaping capture. A thorough search of Culp’s vehicle was conducted to ensure public safety, which yielded various controlled substances including fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, Alprazolam (Xanax), and assorted pills. 

On March 24, 2022, a New Orleans-based U.S. Marshals Task Force located and arrested Culp in Louisiana, and he was extradited back to Alachua County to face criminal charges of: 

Count I: Aggravated Battery on Law Enforcement Officer

Count VI: Aggravated Battery on Law Enforcement Officer

Count VII: Possession of Controlled Substance without a Prescription

Count IV: Possession of Controlled Substance without a Prescription

Count V: Possession of Controlled Substance without a Prescription

Count VI: Possession of Controlled Substance without a Prescription

Count VII: Possession of Controlled Substance without a Prescription

Count VIII: Possession of Firearm, Ammunition, or Electric Weapon by Convicted Felon

Count IX: Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude (Injury or damage)

Count X: Resisting an Officer with Violence

Count XI: Fail Stop/Report Crash Involving Injury

High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard said, “I am grateful that the officers survived this attack. The actions of Mr. Culp were severe and could have resulted in the death or serious bodily injury to our public servants, underscoring the gravity of the incident. Mr. Culp will have a long time to reflect on his criminal offenses, and I fervently hope that he seeks and obtains the necessary help and reform upon his return to society.”

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