Gainesville man arrested for threatening neighbor with machete

Staff report

Updated on April 30 with pre-trial detention information.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gaura Narada Thigpen, 46, was arrested last night for allegedly threatening a neighbor while carrying a machete and a baseball bat.

At about 11:23 p.m. on April 23, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to Southern Pines Apartments (4100 block of SW 17th Place), where the victim said Thigpen had been causing a commotion in the bushes right next to the victim’s apartment. The victim said Thigpen came out of the bushes and threatened to shoot the victim and his dog, while carrying a machete and a baseball bat.

Thigpen allegedly charged at the victim with the machete raised and then backed off and ran into his own apartment.

Two witnesses reportedly corroborated the victim’s story and said Thigpen was carrying a machete and baseball bat and that he “always” carries a machete. They also both said that Thigpen had charged at the victim while threatening to kill him.

The victim reportedly told an officer that there have been previous incidents in which Thigpen caused a disturbance and was confrontational, but he hadn’t reported them.

Thigpen reportedly came out of his apartment when instructed by police, and he said the victim had gotten confrontational with him; he said he doesn’t own a machete, a gun, or a dog and that the victim had threatened him. He denied threatening or charging at the victim and said he was just going home at the time of the incident.

Post Miranda, Thigpen reportedly said he had called the police because the victim was getting really close to him and his apartment; he said he shut the door and reported the incident to his landlord.

Thigpen has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has two felony convictions (non-violent), four misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and two traffic convictions; he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2008. Judge Bo Bayer ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial. On April 30, Judge Susanne Wilson Bullard granted the motion and ordered him held without bail until trial.

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.