A Bartow man is dead in an apparent road rage incident that started on U.S. 98 and ended on the property of a closed pediatrics facility.

Read more: http://www.theledger.com/news/20180706/pcso-bartow-man-impaled-in-fatal-us-98-road-rage-crash

Audio provided by Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Full story here: http://www.theledger.com/news/20180320/polk-sheriff-grady-judd-fatal-beating-of-lake-wales-boy-15-was-premeditated-jealousy-over-girl-motivated-suspect-16

Partial transcript, provided by Polk County Sheriff's Office:

"1:09 - I texted him when he was supposed to be off school, and I texted him and texted him and I got no response so I started walking down the street and

 stuff, and I saw him walking, and he brought me into the woods, and he

 took my baseball bat and he tried to beat me.

1:43 - He tried  to attack me, and then me and him got into a fight but I had the baseball bat, and I don't know if he's dead cause I hit him so many times, man.

4:00 - (yelling to his dad) Dad! Dad help! Dad help. Dad help (to  the dispatcher) I'm gonna run and get my dad; (talking to his dad) Dad - help me, Gio tried to kill me and I think I killed him; I'm not playing dad, he attacked me in the woods.

4:56 - (talking to his dad)  He told me to come in the woods by myself with the baseball bat cause after we were done smoking we were going to get Zach and play baseball; then  he said he had to take a pee; then all of a sudden, he's behind me with  the baseball bat - he tried to get me and I grabbed it; all he did was punch me in the face but I hit him one time and said stop, and he's like, now you're gonna effin get it, and he came at me again, and I kept hittin' him and hittin' him.

5:44 - They're saying I'm gonna go to jail if he dies.

The rest is a conversation between him and  others, during which he mentions TV shows he watches, and continues saying  he was attacked first. Then his father gets on the phone, and talks to  the dispatcher. Then the father talks to Dillen."

A former law enforcement officer is accused of drunken driving in a hit-and-run crash. Five middle school students who were walking home on the shoulder were struck — killing one and injuring the other four, including one severely.

Warning: This audio may be upsetting for some listeners.

 

A Lakeland man is in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds to the chest after breaking down a front door, according to the Lakeland Police Department.

READ MORE: http://www.theledger.com/news/20180128/lakeland-police-department-homeowner-shoots-19-year-old-man-in-chest-after-he-broke-into-home

Winter Haven police are searching for two men they say attacked and robbed a woman who was playing with her toddler at Kiwanis Park early Thursday morning.

 

READ MORE: http://bit.ly/2DDpITJ

Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Travis Burton, 30, of Haines City, for kidnapping and sexual battery of a minor, which the PCSO says occurred Saturday in the Davenport area.

A 7-year-old girl is dead of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning after a portable generator was run inside a home that had lost power during Hurricane Irma.

911 Audio - Bomb threat at Winter Haven probation office