The Tribune

By Renaldo Dorsett

BAHAMIAN sprinter Stephen Newbold, charged with discharging a firearm and resisting arrest, was put on probation for a year after a judge accepted a plea agreement.

The legal side of Newbold’s problems were resolved yesterday after nearly eight months of delays.

According to the Florida State Attorney’s Office, a Leon County judge accepted a plea agreement between state prosecutors and Newbold to resolve the charges brought against him.

The terms of the probation were not disclosed.

Newbold and American sprinter Josh Mance, were arrested in March when two gunshots were heard around 3:30am at the Campus Walk Apartments complex in Tallahassee.

The report said that Mance, 21, and Newbold, 19, were part of a group of five men who were spotted by a police officer at the complex shortly after a witness told the officer they had heard the gunshots.

The officer discovered the men standing near the pool area, and as he ordered each of them to the ground, Newbold ran. He was caught 15 minutes later at a dog track.

A witness told police Newbold had fired the gun. He was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm and resisting arrest without violence.

His lawyer released a statement in late March saying that Newbold strongly disputed the charges.

Newbold was bailed to return to court later in April, which allowed him to take part in the CARIFTA Games.

Newbold won two medals, an individual bronze in the under-20 boys’ 400m, and he ran the third leg in the under-20 boys’ 4x400m for their silver medal finish.

Charges against Mance were dismissed in April when the state attorney’s office submitted a “no information” notice to Mance’s attorney.

It officially dropped the charges of resisting arrest without violence and possession of a fake identification.