Man arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot travelers at gas station

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Samuel Demarcus Staten, 33, was arrested early yesterday morning and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after allegedly confronting travelers at a gas station and then threatening to shoot them.

At about 5:20 a.m. Sunday morning, Staten allegedly confronted the victim, who is from Palm Coast, at the door of a gas station on Archer Road; before Staten said anything, the victim reportedly said he didn’t have any money to give him and entered the store with his wife.

A third person traveling with the victim entered the store behind the couple, and Staten allegedly told that person, “I’ve got something for your friends.” When the victim and his wife came out of the store, Staten reportedly started yelling at them, saying he was not a panhandler and was not asking for money. He then allegedly pulled a handgun out of his pocket and held it in his hand. The victim backed away and told his wife to get in the car, and Staten allegedly yelled, “I’ll blow you away,” before walking away.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the call and watched surveillance video footage that reportedly showed Staten sitting outside the front door as the victim and his wife walked in; Staten then got up when their friend entered the store. However, the altercation took place out of view of the cameras.

The victim told officers that Staten had walked across the street after the incident, and officers found him in that area; an officer confirmed that he was the same person seen in the store video at the entrance.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a loaded Ruger 9mm gun.

Post Miranda, Staten reportedly described the altercation the same way the victim did, except that he denied saying he would blow the victim away; he said he initially approached the victim because his car had broken down a few blocks away but didn’t get a chance to say that before the victim said he didn’t have any money. He reportedly admitted to pulling out a gun and said he held it behind his back while he argued with the victim. He said he pled guilty to robbery in 2009 and served four years in prison.

Staten has an out-of-state criminal history with charges between 2008 and 2022; Judge Sheree Lancaster set bail at $250,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • Why don’t you share the specific location so the public can determine if there are trends at specific locations?

    • Geographically it happened in Gainesville. It’s become very prevalent in many Democrat governed municipalities and seems to have become more accepted/tolerated by the general populace.

      You can thank the locally elected leadership and the people who keep voting for them for the issues in Gainesville; they really don’t do much to prevent it from happening and probably won’t until it affects someone they know personally.

        • If you’re having a difficult time understanding the influence a political ideology may have to deter crime then there’s no explanation I, or anyone, can provide that will give you an understanding.

        • Ummm. Liberal policies =less cops, light sentences for criminals. Low bail if any. =
          I probably won’t get caught cause the police are busy. If I do get caught ,I’ll be out on bail and probably have the charges dropped by the liberal prosecution. Hence…. More crime and more criminals on the streets.
          Hope that helps.

        • Yes, of course, the politics attracts the criminals to come here, like free everything at grace marketplace and a coddling criminal Justice system. So yes, that’s what politics has to do with it, and as a result Gainesville has become is a beacon attracting criminals on my tax dollar. Disgusting!

        • To make it simple for you, compare the policies of Democrats running places like LA, SFran, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, St Louis, Baltimore and Gainesville, with most of the rest of the nation, run by Republicans and non-radical Democrats.

          • 15 Most Dangerous Cities in the US
            St. Louis, Missouri
            Birmingham, Alabama
            Baltimore, Maryland
            Memphis, Tennessee
            Detroit, Michigan
            Cleveland, Ohio
            New Orleans, Louisiana
            Shreveport, Louisiana
            Baton Rouge, Louisiana
            Little Rock, Arkansas
            Oakland, California
            Milwaukee, Wisconsin
            Kansas City, Missouri
            Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
            Richmond, Virginia

            Mostly in red states where gun ownership is greatest and only 2 on your list are on this list.

        • Come on man! How you ever gonna get to be a 007? Anyone who spends any time in the news knows that the progressives want so called ‘equity’ in justice and it just so happens many violent crimes are committed by minorities and they are the majority in most prisons. So…the Left tries to take over the public prosecutors jobs and then not prosecute or give lower sentences & bail amounts in order to make justice more ‘fair’ for the minority criminals.

          • The violent crime rates went down in both of the cities were DeSantis removed prosecutors. Those prosecutors did not relent on violent and property crimes, but drug possession and other victimless crimes with first offenders. The idea is to keep them from beginning the regular cycling through the system with jail time and education at State Pen U.

        • When our elected officials neuter our officers and influence others to turn a blind eye toward these criminals, we can honestly say that politics in Alachua Co is a huge factor

    • This is in front of the Target store, you know, in the soon to be tax free Utopia of glorious Springs County.

      • Geography Splainer you might want to brush up on your geography. In no way, shape, or form does the proposed Springs County claim to be tax-free.

        • Memo to all the fans of the stupid idea of “Springs County.” My sincere condolences to all of you for the recent tragic loss suffered by your Dear Leader and future County Manager/Dictator Lil Timmy Marden. Last Friday, 9/22/23, in Tallahassee the Florida Department of State KILLED the John Birch Society. Out of respect, I will make no comments referencing the dumbazz stupid idea of Springs County” for at least 24 hours.

          • Typical rant from a leftist leech that thinks tax payers should have to puts up with the stupidity of you leftist parasites! We detest you as much as you detest us!

      • Except Springs County is never gonna happen. It’s a great idea, and should have been an “aha” moment for the Alachua County commission as to how they don’t include outlying areas as part of the county – their only real concern is Gainesville. Now we get to hear Chuckie shoot down anything outlying with his “they don’t want to be a part of Alachua County, so why should we listen to them” attitude. Which, is exactly what they were doing before Springs County became an idea.

  • Let’s be honest here. what percentage of people (of any race) would want to come near someone who looks like this, at 5AM? It is totally unsafe to be approached by a stranger in the middle of the night, especially one who does not respect societies norms. This is common sense, not the left’s definition of “profiling”.

  • I don’t think this will make Alachua County and Gainesville Tourism’s promotional materials. I also don’t think this will leave fond memories for the victims to tell their neighbors in Palm Coast either.

  • Sounds like the traveler set this idiot off by saying he had no money. Still, that’s no excuse to go ghetto and pull a gun out. It might have ended differently if the traveler were CCW and felt the need to stand his ground. I think the traveler would be justified thinking he was in fear for his life and the life of his two companions should he have shot the idiot.

    • Also seemed like the guy was just about to ask for some money for his broken down car, that’s happened to me about a million times when it’s really just for drug or alcohol money.

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