Gainesville man arrested for attempted murder after victim said gun jammed at close range

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kenyatta Jermaine Patterson, Jr., 27, was arrested yesterday and charged with attempted murder after a neighbor said Patterson pushed a gun into his side and pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. The victim said Patterson then hit him in the head with the gun, which fired and expelled a spent casing.

Patterson and the victim live in neighboring buildings at Gardenview Apartments, 2220 SW 34th Street. The victim said he was walking home from the store at about 6:41 p.m. yesterday when Patterson started “trash-talking” him from across the parking lot. He said Patterson yelled, “Do you want me to do you right now?” multiple times.

The victim said Patterson walked toward him, racking the slide of a pistol, then pushed the pistol into the side of his ribs and pulled the trigger. The victim said the gun jammed, and then Patterson hit him in the head with the gun, which went off. The victim said he ran away while calling 911.

The responding Gainesville Police Department Officer noted that the victim had a laceration on his forehead, but the victim wasn’t sure whether the injury was from being hit with the gun or being grazed by a bullet.

A neighbor who knows both the victim and defendant reportedly said she was sitting outside when she heard arguing and saw Patterson walk past with a gun in his hand. She said she heard Patterson say he would shoot the victim, and then she heard a gunshot; she said Patterson walked back to his apartment after the gunshot.

Another witness described Patterson and said he had shot at another man, who ran away.

As officers were canvassing the area, Patterson reportedly came out of his apartment and consented to a search of his apartment. The search reportedly produced a Glock 19 pistol with a 15-round magazine, loaded with 14 rounds; there was a spent casing next to the gun and a holster on the bed.

Post Miranda, Patterson reportedly said he was outside smoking when the victim walked by and he and the victim had argued earlier. He said he walked toward the victim with his gun in his waistband, and the victim said he wasn’t afraid of the gun. He said the victim “flinched” toward him, so he pulled out the gun and swung it at the victim’s neck/shoulder area and accidentally pulled the trigger, firing the gun. He said he never pointed the gun at the victim and denied picking up the spent shell casing. He said he went back to his apartment, unloaded one “unfired bullet,” and put the gun and the unfired round into a drawer.

Patterson was arrested last November and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening to shoot someone who was holding a baby. He was released on $10,000 bail, and the charge was later dropped.

Patterson has a juvenile criminal conviction but no adult convictions. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial.

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.