Gainesville man arrested for threatening mother’s neighbor with a shotgun
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Devon Junior McCarthy, 29, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening his mother’s neighbor with a shotgun.
At about 1:12 p.m. on March 18, the victim reportedly had a verbal argument with McCarthy’s mother, who lives above the victim in Frederick Gardens Apartments (1405 SW 10th Terrace). McCarthy, who reportedly lives in the same complex, allegedly drove to his mother’s apartment, got out of his vehicle “in an aggressive manner” with a shotgun, and told the victim to come outside.
The victim told the responding Gainesville Police Department officer that he believed McCarthy would shoot him and his girlfriend, who was also inside the apartment.
The officer reported that the victim’s surveillance camera showed McCarthy approaching the victim’s apartment while holding the shotgun “in an aggressive manner.”
A witness reportedly told the officer he saw McCarthy in the parking lot, holding a shotgun and yelling at someone, and then McCarthy walked to an upstairs apartment.
Before the officer read his Miranda rights, McCarthy reportedly said he went to the victim’s apartment with the shotgun and told him to come outside because he believed the victim had threatened to harm his mother and he wanted to protect her. Post Miranda, McCarthy reportedly said he wanted to speak to a lawyer.
McCarthy has no criminal history. Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered McCarthy held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial.
McCarthy’s booking photo has not been posted on the Alachua County Jail’s website because he is a corrections officer.
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.
If he’s a corrections officer, he certainly should know better. And perhaps be put on leave without pay while this incident is being investigated.
Typical thug mentality, he is as bad as the rest of them. CO’s don’t do well in jail, best of luck with that.
Obviously we need to know if his claims have merit. We don’t know if his mother was really threatened by the neighbor or just thought she was.
I agree with possible charges for the “victim” IF they did threaten the mother, But I’m sure GPD isn’t interested in looking through the video for that info. Stupid to show up with shotgun threatening someone, go straight to jail. I wonder if future charges will be brought for threatening the mother, is THAT on video too?
Held w/o bail? No record? Sheriff Dept employee? On a mere threat? Should have been ROR. Don’t even have charges (aggravated assault at worst).
Not even ravaged assault. Nothing happened. No one got hurt. He’s serious those people need to stay away from his mother. Family first. I understand.
Typo, Not ravaged, aggravated …not even aggravated assault.
Yes. This is a nothingburger. No harm done. They shouldn’t have arrested him at all.
Nothing has to happen. Aggravated assault is threat by word or act to do harm coupled with apparent ability to carry out threat causing reasonable fear for great bodily harm. It is exactly aggravated assault as described.
It is technically aggravated assault under the FSS. It will be pled down. He will probably lose his job. In today’s world you can no longer defend your family like you could 20 years ago. Too many people do not want to be responsible for their initial action that start a chain of events. The person who probably made the threat against the mother saw that there was a man willing to defend his mother and whined “No Fair.” I’m sure the victim who threatened the mother feels like “John Wayne” threatening someone’s mother.
If the mother was really threatened to where the son needed to show up with a shotgun why didn’t she call the cops instead of calling her son? Both the mother and son are wrong. He is where he belongs