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Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Javontea Antonio Black, 28, and Mashala Verdell Young, 20, were arrested early Monday morning; both were charged with drug possession, Black is accused of trying to drive away while dragging an officer, and Young is accused of kicking an officer.
At about 1:15 a.m. on March 25, Black and Young were reportedly passengers in a car that was pulled over in the 1800 block of NE 6th Terrace by a Gainesville Police Department officer. During the traffic stop, the officer saw a bag of marijuana (later found to weigh 11.4 grams) on the rear seat next to Young. The officer ordered the occupants to get out of the vehicle, but Young was allegedly verbally combative and refused to open the door. She allegedly resisted efforts by GPD officers and Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies to remove her from the vehicle, but she was eventually handcuffed.
When officers attempted a search incident to arrest, Young allegedly refused to cooperate and had to be placed inside a patrol vehicle; while an officer was trying to place her in the patrol vehicle, she allegedly kicked the officer in the shin, resulting in a contusion.
A search of the vehicle reportedly produced a backpack containing female clothing and three more baggies containing another 6.9 grams of marijuana. The officer noted that the marijuana appeared to be pre-packaged for sale.
Post Miranda, Young reportedly declined to answer questions.
When an officer ordered the occupants out of the vehicle, the unidentified driver reportedly got out without incident, but Black, who had been in the front passenger seat, allegedly jumped into the driver’s seat and tried to put the vehicle into gear. An officer tried to physically remove Black from the vehicle, but Black allegedly grabbed the officer while pushing the gas pedal in an attempt to drive away. Black also allegedly ripped gear from the officer’s uniform, breaking the equipment. Black was eventually removed from the vehicle and handcuffed.
A search of Black, incident to arrest, reportedly produced 10.2 grams of cocaine and 10.5 grams of marijuana, along with cash and two Percocet pills in his socks. A search of a bag on the floorboard in front of Black’s passenger seat reportedly produced 141.2 grams of cocaine, 29.1 grams of MDPV, 42.6 grams of MDMA, and plastic baggies.
Young has been charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, resisting an officer without violence, and battery on an officer. She has a juvenile criminal history between 2015 and 2019, one adult felony conviction (non-violent), and one adult misdemeanor conviction (non-violent). Sworn complaints for battery and two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm were filed against her in February 2024, but she has not been booked on those charges. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $30,000.
Black has been charged with possession of trafficking quantities of cocaine, possession of trafficking quantities of phenethylamines, trafficking in controlled substances, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to sell, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He also had warrants for failure to appear at pre-trial hearings on two previous cases with charges of possession of cocaine with intent to sell, resisting an officer without violence, and felony battery (two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon were dropped in the battery case).
Judge Thomas Jaworski ordered Black held without bail in the felony battery case; he also set bail of $35,000 in the cocaine possession case and $910,000 on the new charges.
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
