Gainesville man arrested for threatening a juvenile while holding a knife
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jaylen Marquis Williams, 21, was arrested yesterday for allegedly pushing a juvenile and then going back to his house, returning with a knife in his hand, and telling the juvenile, “I’m going to hit you.”
At about 6:30 p.m. on May 20, the victim was helping his sister fix her bicycle in the street in front of the Williams Recreation Center when Williams approached him and allegedly pushed him over. The victim ran toward the basketball court and hid behind three witnesses.
Williams allegedly went back to his residence, came back with a small, black-handled knife, and said, “I’m going to hit you.” He then reportedly dropped the knife and walked back to his residence.
The three witnesses reportedly said they saw Williams push the victim over in the street and walk away; then the victim hid behind them while Williams approached with a knife in his hand and said, “I’m going to hit you.”
The officer reportedly recovered the knife.
Post Miranda, Williams reportedly said he and the victim were friends, and they got into an argument over the bicycle; he said he got “angry” at the victim, so he went back to his residence, grabbed the knife, and walked over to the victim with the knife in his hand. He said he did not say anything to the victim while holding the knife, and he didn’t know why he grabbed the knife.
Williams has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and child abuse without great bodily harm. In 2023, he was charged with battery on a detention officer after allegedly spitting on a detention officer at the Alachua County Jail; he was eventually found incompetent to proceed in that case and was released on his own recognizance. In his order, Judge David Kreider wrote that Williams suffered from an intellectual disability and was “non-restorable to competence”; Williams did not meet the criteria for commitment to a treatment facility of the Department of Children and Families.
Judge Adam Lee set bail at $50,000.
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.
Knife Summit needed.
Justice system is a joke
Appears to need treatment/support for his “intellectual disability” at 21 the costs for not having any is likely much higher via incarceration and or future victims of his actions.
DCF needs to step up.
He is 21. Not a child. He has a criminal history as a juvenile and adult that warranted him prison at such a young age. In the 8th judicial judicial circuit system there is usually multiple convictions before an offender sees prison. DCF is not the issue the family failed him. Not the state of Florida.
DOC is also the State of Florida, like DCF.
Incarceration serves a purpose but it will not solve our crime problems. Other solutions and interventions are needed.
He could have killed the victim… jail is a good place for him and he can work on getting his GED in jail and work release will provide him support & structure and a job where he can become a productive member of society…