Man who yelled n-word and flashed gun at Black teens during Miami protest takes plea deal

A Broward County man — who was caught on video brandishing a gun and yelling the n-word at Black teens on bicycles on a Brickell bridge more than four years ago — avoided prison time Tuesday with a plea deal.

Mark Bartlett, 55, potentially faced decades in prison if convicted. Instead, he pleaded guilty to a hate crime and aggravated assault and also agreed not to possess a firearm for a decade. He will also do 300 hours of community service and take angermanagement classes and racial-sensitivity training.

In exchange, MiamiDade Circuit Court Judge Alberto Milian granted Bartlett a withhold of adjudication, which means

Bartlett will avoid a formal conviction but still can be sentenced to probation.

Present at the hearing in the Miami-Dade criminal courthouse were Kiadanys Cruz, Deante Joseph and their attorney, Marwan Porter. Cruz and Joseph, teens at the time of the incident in January 2019, were both on bicycles when Bartlett approached with his weapon during a protest that blocked traffic.

Before the judge and victims and as a condition of his plea, Bartlett apologized for his conduct, admitting his words were hateful.

“Obviously, they are accepting the apology that was given and hoping it’s sincere,” Porter said. “He pleaded guilty to a hate crime. And that, in and of itself, speaks volumes. It’s no different than a jury convicting him guilty.”

Kiadanys and Cruz have filed a civil lawsuit against Bartlett, but Porter said he hopes to settle before it reaches trial.

MARK BARTLETT POTENTIALLY FACED DECADES IN PRISON IF CONVICTED. INSTEAD, HE PLEADED GUILTY TO A HATE CRIME AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND ALSO AGREED NOT TO POSSESS A FIREARM FOR A DECADE AND ACCEPTED OTHER CONDITIONS.