Bradenton man, 24, charged with hitting child with belt

MANATEE -- A Bradenton man was charged Monday with child abuse after deputies said he hit a 6-year-old child with a belt, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

At a first appearance Tuesday afternoon, bond for 24-year-old Jarques Lamar Randall was set at $1,500, but he's still being held without bond on his previous charges. He was also ordered by Manatee Circuit Judge Scott Brownell not to have any contact with the victim without court supervision.

On Jan. 8, 2015, Randall was shot by a Bradenton police officer after investigators said he tried to run her down with his car before driving away and causing seven crashes on Cortez Road in Bradenton. He was arrested on numerous charges after that incident, including seven counts of leaving the scene of a crash, according to the sheriff's office website.

According to a report, on March 17 deputies responded to Manatee Memorial Hospital in reference to a possible child abuse case. A deputy at the hospital observed several red marks on the victim's buttocks, left arm and legs.

Randall, who deputies said had been arrested earlier on a charge of domestic battery and violation of probation, was interviewed about the child abuse allegations. According to the report, Randall told deputies that he was not trying to hurt the child, just teach him a lesson.

Randall was charged with child abuse without causing great bodily harm.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Bradenton man, 24, charged with hitting child with belt ."