The Tribune

PROSECUTORS have dismissed charges against Bahamian track star Stephen Newbold’s fellow sprinter – after the pair were accused following a gun incident in Florida.

Newbold, 18, and 21-year-old fellow Florida State University sprinter Josh Mance were charged after a shooting incident in Tallahassee last month.

Mance and Newbold were detained shortly after Tallahassee police arrived to investigate shots fired at an off-campus apartment complex in the early hours of March 21.

Newbold was charged with resisting arrest without violence and discharging a firearm in a public place. Mance was charged with resisting arrest without violence and possessing a fake identification.

Mance had said he heard shots but didn't see them. No injuries were reported.

This week the state attorney’s office in Florida dropped the case against Mance.

The prosecutor said: "While there was sufficient probable cause to arrest the defendant [Mance] on both these charges, the state is electing not to proceed to trial in this matter based on the defendant's lack of criminal history and the relatively minor nature of his misconduct."

His lawyer said a lie-detector test and evidence discovered during an investigation exonerated Mance from any involvement.

Both runners had been indefinitely suspended from athletic activity at FSU – Mance has been reinstated.

Newbold’s charge is still pending. He was bailed to reappear before a US court later this month – which allowed him to come back to the Bahamas to compete in the CARIFTA Games.

His lawyer Joshua Zelman said on March 26: “Mr Newbold strongly disputes the charges, as he did not discharge a firearm. Law enforcement did not conduct any forensic tests to determine if he had recently discharged a firearm and no firearm was located. Although Stephen ran from the scene, he did so because he was confronted by someone aiming a gun at him. Only later did he learn the person was a police officer.”