By Gary White
The Ledger
LAKELAND, Fla. — Two Lakeland men are accused of picking the wrong person to pelt with a raw egg late Wednesday night.
The victim was a Lakeland police lieutenant who was riding his bicycle around Lake Hollingsworth during a work break. He pedaled after the car from which the egg was thrown and called in a report, which soon led to the arrests of the two men.
John Jacob Stone, 18, admitted to hurling the egg, which splattered on the back of Michael Lewis’ head, the LPD reported. Stone, of 5344 Loch Place, was charged with simple battery.
The vehicle’s driver, Hunter Riley Jones, 18, was charged with culpable negligence. His address was listed as 211 Birch Lane.
LPD Sgt. Gary Gross said Lewis, 45, is a competitive mountain bicyclist whose fitness enabled him to follow Jones’ vehicle on his bike until other officers arrived in vehicles to pursue the suspects.
Lewis was working the night shift, Gross said, and was out of uniform as he rode around the lake.
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LPD gave this account of the incident:
Lewis was riding in the bike lane on Lake Hollingsworth Drive near Buckingham Avenue about 11:19 p.m. when a vehicle approached from behind. Lewis, who was wearing a bike helmet, felt an object strike the back of his head.
He chased after the vehicle and used his cellphone to call for help, giving fellow officers a description of the vehicle — a maroon, two-door sedan.
Lewis said he observed the vehicle heading south on U.S. 98.
Another officer soon spotted the vehicle and pulled it over on U.S. 98 near Richmond Road.
Under questioning, Stone admitted he had thrown the egg that struck Lewis.
The officer, Raj Patel, reported that Jones, the driver, had an egg stored between his legs. Stone, the passenger, had two cartons of eggs on the floorboard.
Patel discovered a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle, according to his report. Stone and Jones were both charged with possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The episode caused Lewis some pain, Gross said, but he did not require medical attention.
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©2017 The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.)