Gainesville man arrested for “maintaining order” by pointing shotgun at neighbors

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Al Vincent Brown, 61, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed burglary after allegedly threatening neighbors with a shotgun because they were playing music.

A Gainesville Police Department officer responded at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday to a call about a man with a loaded shotgun at a location that was redacted in the report. One victim told the officer he was sitting outside, listening to music, when Brown came out of his house “in a rush” with a loaded shotgun. Brown allegedly went into the victim’s residence with the shotgun and told a second man inside the residence that he needed to leave. Both victims told the officer that Brown had pointed the shotgun directly at the second victim, and both victims said Brown entered the victim’s residence.

Post Miranda, Brown said he did not point the shotgun at anybody and that he was just “maintaining order”; he said he had maintained ordered in the area “for years” with a shotgun. He said he was frustrated with the second victim because he believed he was taking advantage of the first victim. He reportedly said he walked up to the victim’s door holding the shotgun but never pointed it at him.

Brown has criminal convictions in Georgia but no Florida convictions; he has lived in the area for about 10 years. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $120,000.

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.