Gainesville man arrested for threatening family member with gun, firing ‘warning shot’

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jack Robert Carter, 74, was arrested yesterday for allegedly threatening a family member with a gun; he also allegedly fired a warning shot into the air outside his home.

At about 12:30 p.m. on November 4, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a home in the Duval neighborhood, where Carter said the victim, a family member, walked into his bedroom holding two knives and threatened to kill him. He said that after threatening him, the victim left his bedroom and lay down on the couch; he said he left his bedroom with his gun and walked past the victim to go outside. He said that after the victim came to the open door, he discharged the firearm into the air; he said he did not see the victim holding any knives at that time.

When asked to describe the knives, Carter reportedly said the victim had a small one and a large one and that he had never seen the knives before.

The victim reportedly said he and Carter were arguing when Carter went outside; he said he went to the open door and saw Carter pointing the gun in the air. He said Carter fired the gun into the air and then pointed the gun at him, causing him to fear for his safety. He denied ever having a knife.

Post Miranda, Carter reportedly said that when the victim came to the door, he thought he was going to walk toward him, so he fired a “warning shot” into the air and then pointed the gun at the victim.

The officer reported that there was no evidence that the victim had threatened Carter with a knife, citing the fact that Carter acknowledged walking past the victim, who had allegedly threatened him with a knife, but he did not point the gun at him until he was outside, although the victim was still inside. The officer also noted that although the door was open, the victim would have had to step over a three-foot baby gate to move toward Carter.

A search of the area around the couch reportedly produced no knives, and a search of the victim reportedly produced no knives.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a pistol in Carter’s pocket.

Carter has been charged with aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon. He has one misdemeanor conviction, and Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him released on his own recognizance but ordered him to maintain a separate residence from the victim.

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.