HomeCrimeGainesville man arrested for holding Circle K clerk in back room of store; deputies had to break down the door to free her

Gainesville man arrested for holding Circle K clerk in back room of store; deputies had to break down the door to free her

July 27, 2022

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Paul Leonard Terry, Jr., 29, was arrested yesterday morning after allegedly holding a Circle K employee in the back of the store; when deputies arrived, they reportedly had to break down the door to free the employee.

Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from the Circle K at 4030 SW 13th Street and were told that Terry had come into the store, asking to use the phone. After an employee said customers can’t use the phone, Terry said he had been jumped and needed to use the phone. The store manager allowed him to use the phone, but while she wasn’t looking, he reportedly went into the back area of the store and closed and bolted the store room door. The victim was in the store room at the time, so the employee who had first spoken to Terry went to the door to see if she was ok; the employee said the victim came to the door and mouthed, “Call 911” while Terry was distracted on the phone. Terry then reportedly closed and bolted the door again, with the victim inside.

The victim later told deputies that she tried to retreat to her manager’s office, but Terry followed, although she told him he was not allowed back there and needed to leave. She was able to close and lock the door to her manager’s office, but Terry allegedly forced entry, kicking the door in and breaking the frame. The door also knocked a chair over, and it flew across the office and injured a store employee. Terry allegedly continued to keep the victim in the manager’s office with the door locked, refusing to let her leave.

When deputies arrived, Terry allegedly continued to refuse to open the door, and they reportedly had to force entry to rescue the victim and arrest Terry.

Terry has been charged with battery with a prior conviction, false imprisonment, property damage over $200, and resisting arrest. He has five felony convictions (one violent), five misdemeanor convictions, and a pending felony case for drug possession and giving false identification to law enforcement, for which he was released on his own recognizance. He is also currently on state probation for burglary to an occupied dwelling, following a release from prison in November of 2021 on that charge. He is being held on $15,000 bond.

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. 

  • Karen it’s your time to shine💯💯👏🏾..
    Ready to spew sum weak a$$ diatribe about BLM or WOKE people ruining society 🤔 blah blah.. noticed you always comment on people of color in trouble.. so I’m sure you will read this.. your racist cohort Trump2024 4 prison pageantry will say something incredibly stupid 🙄 don’t worry 😉

    • I heard my name was called! Let me spit a little info to you there buddy, black people are more racist than anybody. Just put on your favorite gangster hip hop song it’s cr@cka this cr@cka that cr@cker got me in the ghetto Robbin stealing and killing because I don’t want to get out and do anything with my life. S*** like that has been acceptable in society because black folks are allowed to call us anything they like but there’s one certain word that we’re going to hell if we say. Sad thing is I know a lot of good African American people and they don’t see things like you do. They don’t blame society or another race and have worked hard in life to get what they have and to be successful just as every other hard working American has. Those are the people I’ll do anything for, they treat me with respect and they get nothing but respect from me. Nobody owes you anything but yourself. I’ve been on both sides of the tracks in life. I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve got but there was a time in life where I was lost and didn’t know where I was going out there living the party life, I thought my friends meant more to me than my own family. In and out of jail through my teens and late twenties beat a couple prison stints and finally woke up and realized that everybody else wasn’t to blame it was me. The police were just doing their job I was the one out breaking the law. I’ve grown up and realized that you don’t put yourself in certain situations there’s nothing to be worried about. And I don’t blame anybody but myself for my actions. Accountability for one’s actions is something that is hard to swallow but until you do that it’s easy to blame everybody else.

    • Anti-Geezus,
      It is not about skin color. Content of character per MLK, Jr.
      Now apparently the lack of that and thinness of black skin.
      13% population equals 2/3 of FBI crimes. N is as N does?
      Br. Eddie M.

      • What race has too do with a crime especially this crime some people speak on nonsense they have all races in jail and on the streets

        • Black racist Geezus started it and uses foul language trying to express himself forcibly.
          He making himself look the fool.

    • I knew immediately that it was a mistake for the court to have released
      this habitual criminal on his own recognizance for his pending felony drug possession & giving false ID to a LEO case…what on earth are they thinking? Is this that equity thing that Poe & Kramer want? You certainly don’t want to elect a guy like Brewer for Judge that Kramer is supporting in the upcoming election. — “you do a crime, you do the time”…that’s the only thing that works in the tool box.
      I don’t care what color his skin is.— It was GPD Chief
      Clifton who initiated that 2 employee rule for convenience stores in the 1980’s. We had a good
      Outcome with this story with the crazy guy being apprehended. I’m assuming this story happened late
      Night and not in the daytime…it doesn’t say if he was
      Trying to rob the store either…bath salts?

      • I don’t know anymore…did you mean yes, that they or them? Saw a YouTube where Kamala said her
        Pronouns were she/her and she was the one wearing
        The blue suit with the mask on..

  • Crazy people who should be locked up in institutions sure aren’t helping society. Seeing as how this Circle K is right across the street from Meridian, you have to wonder if he might be a patient there.

  • i love reading these stories of how are county has turned to pure shyt. Judges releasing criminals like these back to the streets, State attorneys office dropping charges or letting career criminals walk for next to nothing or they run from police get bit by a dog and liberals cry and throw a big fit And they wonder why the violent crime rate here has skyrocketed? Society has made it cool to be ignorant stupid and dumb by the black trash gangsta music people listen to and the trashy stuff they watch on TV and unless you have tattoos on your face and your hair looks like a bunch of shyt strands hanging off of it you don’t fit in with the new Society. I’ve been woke for a very long time and I pitty the fool that steps to me with that bullshit thinking i owe him or her something. I’m from the old school I don’t go around starting no stuff but I promise you I won’t be taking none.

  • Cry me a river. When the criminals break into your home don’t call 911, make some cookies and sing “We are the world” try to change the attitude of the violent felon as he or she is beating you to death. But whatever you do, don’t call law enforcement and we see how that works out for you. Unfortunely decent society has grown sick of all these weak a$$ attempts to make WOKE statements about unlawful acts and how they are justified based on some made up oppressive thought. My rights don’t end when you’re insecure feelings begin.

  • Thank God nobody got seriously hurt. While terrifying for the victims, the outcome in this situation is infinitely better than when people carry guns. Hopefully Mr. Terry can get some help and get his life going in a better direction.

    • Nice comment thank god no one was hurt . Others calling the crime racist. He in jail with other racist for same crimes so keep the racist comments under y’all blamkets

      • They may have been black employees…if so, it may
        count as more b on b crime.

  • The low bond amount doesn’t seem appropriate for
    this guy. Glad it didn’t end up in a death like some
    of the recent crimes reported here in the AC recently.
    Is this guy a Grace Marketplace resident?

  • The sad part about it is if he really was trying to pay for his mother’s rent he struck out. Felony theft will not look great on job application and now in jail he will not be able to help his mother. Poor choices now will affect him.

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