Alachua man arrested for spitting on, hitting, and kicking police officers, EMTs, and emergency room staff
Staff report
ALACHUA, Fla. – Robert Lydell Sharp, 52, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of battery on a police officer or EMT, one count of simple assault on a police officer or EMT, and one count of resisting an officer with violence.
At about 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 24, an Alachua Police Department (APD) officer conducted a traffic stop and issued a citation to Sharp. Sharp reportedly became “highly irate” during the traffic stop, making fists, shouting profanity, and refusing to follow commands from officers at the scene.
Once the traffic stop was completed and Sharp was released, he allegedly went to the APD station and asked to speak with a supervisor. Two APD lieutenants met him in the lobby, and Sharp allegedly became aggressive by blading his stance, making fists, shouting profanity, and making threats. The officers tried to detain him to prevent injury and property damage, but Sharp allegedly began violently resisting them.
Sharp allegedly kicked the lieutenants and spit on them, then tensed his body and thrashed on the floor to resist being handcuffed. After he was handcuffed, he allegedly continued to violently resist being placed in a patrol car and finally had to be carried to the patrol car. At the patrol car, he allegedly continued to scratch officers, kick officers with his steel-toed boots, and strike officers with his head, elbows, and knees. Three officers were injured and were struck in the face by spittle.
After a prolonged struggle, Sharp was reportedly placed in the patrol vehicle, but he began complaining of pain and shortness of breath, so Alachua County Fire Rescue was called to the scene. Sharp reportedly resisted being placed on a gurney and into the ambulance, hitting and spitting on officers and medical personnel. He allegedly physically fought with officers and medical personnel in the ambulance while on the way to the hospital, which resulted in officers and medical personnel being battered and “covered in saliva.” The medical personnel did not want to pursue charges but reportedly acknowledged they had been battered by Sharp. Sharp also allegedly tried to bite an officer who used his hands and arms to try to turn Sharp’s face away, to prevent being spit on.
When he arrived at the hospital, Sharp allegedly spat directly in the face of an officer who was trying to restrain him from kicking medical personnel and then tried to hit and bite numerous hospital staff members in the emergency department. Even after being placed in a hospital bed, Sharp allegedly tried to punch an emergency department nurse but was prevented from doing so by the physical intervention of officers and medical staff.
All of these actions were reportedly accompanied by “repeated, aggressive, and derogatory racial slurs, threats of physical and sexual violence against medical staff and law enforcement officers and their families… due to the resentment and hatred that he feels toward law enforcement.”
Sharp has five felony convictions (three violent) and 37 misdemeanor convictions. He has a pending felony case in Leon County for battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct. Judge Walter Green set bail at $3,000 per charge, for a total of $18,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
$3K per charge. For a five time convicted felon (three violent) and 37 time convicted MM defendant, including a pending case. Wow. I can’t even…
The next time Mr. Sharp goes off the deep end, Judge Green should be front and center in place of the deputies and EMTs.
Embracing the culture of violence won’t set you ‘free’ or give you ‘equity’ either.
Way to go Walt. Your village called and they want idiot back. You would probably make more money as a defense attorney then a judge. 42 convictions and this POS is walking the streets. I am not sure why a spit hood was not put on this idiot and hobble his legs do he can’t kick. Stop babying these thugs. Maybe he was auditioning for the George Floyd movie. These criminals should not walk among us. Can you imagine if a store clerk or private said NO to him and he flipped out like this.
U lost me about George Floyd cause now I feel like you’re trying to be funny. In my opinion if they would’ve not treated him then he would’ve been satisfied but me personally I was taught to treat people how I want to be treated🙄 it might’ve costed me my job but he would’ve got the same treatment😒 Smfh this article pissed me off. Yes I’m black and I’m pissed off how he treated them cause that’s ridiculous
Walter strikes again…
Wtf vote these judges out people. They are too easy on grace market places people and multi felons. Take back gainesville people. Enough is enough.
At this point I really just wonder who in the world would still want to be a cop. These men and women risk their lives everyday yet are ridiculed and spit on and talked bad about by most segments of society. Pretty soon we are going to need more Daniel Pennys in this world because these cops are going to quit and we are going out have to fend for ourselves.
Talk about being triggered! What was the traffic citation for, I wonder? But his history also shows he cannot be civilized and should be locked up forever, or exported to a foreign prison.
He was cited for no tail light on his trailer
Absolutely no excuse for his actions. Btw having no tail lights on your trailer can easily kill a rear-ending driver.
If you know all of this information, WHY didn’t you inform him of his taillights???!! Instead of posting about it?
Because I didn’t know his lights were out, just know why they stopped him
Defiance is the new entitlement unfortunately. How sad it must be to use your skin color as an excuse for out of control toddler like tantrums. If Buck were on the bench this guy would have had at least a 100K bond.
All criminal’s families should pay retribution to society for crimes of their children.
Should’ve handcuffed him to a fire hydrant and left him for public view.
Seems to me that the whole incident could have been prevented by the early use of a Taser. Or have they gone the way of the K9s ??
Ridiculously low bail!! Considering his offenses, a TOTAL DISGRACE!!😡😡😡
Thanks to Walter Green, this guy got right back out of jail the next morning. After attacking cops and EMT’s.
This has been going on a longgggg time with Walter Green- how the hell does he get to stay a judge??? I know this is Gainesville, but seriously…?