Gainesville man arrested for pointing gun at girlfriend

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Augusta Pete Hall, 28, was arrested yesterday and charged with domestic aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend and threatening to kill her.

At about 8:51 a.m. on Saturday, Gainesville Police Department Officers responded to the couple’s residence, where the victim said she and Hall had argued and that Hall became angry, pulled a handgun from his backpack, and pointed it at the side of her head, saying, “I will kill you both.” The victim told the officer she was in fear for her life.

The arresting officer reported that the victim initially said Hall had left their residence and that he had taken the backpack with him.

Post Miranda, Hall reportedly denied pointing a gun at the victim; he said that they argued and he left the residence to “defuse” the situation. He initially denied owning a gun but later said the gun was in his backpack, which was in the kitchen closet. Hall reportedly said that during his argument with the victim, the victim tried to hit him, but he dodged the blow; he said the victim also said she would get people to kill him. He said a witness interrupted the argument, and he left the residence at that point. He said he came back to the residence and hid the gun in the kitchen closet because he was afraid the victim would use it against him.

Hall reportedly said the victim knew he had returned to the residence and that while the victim was talking with officers, she sent the witness a text, telling the witness to tell Hall to stay inside the house.

The victim reportedly admitted that she had said she was going to get someone to kill Hall after he threatened her with the gun, and she admitted that she knew he had returned to the residence while she was talking to officers and that she did not tell the officers because she wasn’t trying to get Hall in trouble.

The witness reportedly told an officer that she had been in another room and had heard Hall and the victim arguing loudly; she said she intervened when she heard the victim saying she would get someone to kill Hall. She said she persuaded Hall to walk away, and she said she did not see a gun but wasn’t in the room during the argument. She reportedly showed the officer the text message from the victim, telling her to tell Hall to stay inside.

Hall has one misdemeanor conviction. He successfully completed a deferred prosecution agreement in a 2017 domestic battery case; as a result, the charges were dropped. Judge William Davis ordered him held without bail.

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.