Gainesville man arrested for threatening to kill woman in dispute over parking space
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tavares Quinton McMiller, 36, was arrested yesterday afternoon and charged with aggravated assault after allegedly threatening to kill a woman during a dispute over a parking space.
At about 3:45 p.m. yesterday, McMiller reportedly got into a verbal argument with a woman over a parking spot in the lot outside the Winn Dixie at 300 SW 16th Avenue. Both parties allegedly made verbal threats, then McMiller allegedly threatened to use a gun to kill the victim and her boyfriend, who was not there; however, the victim’s two children were in her car.
McMiller then allegedly took a “realistic looking AR-style rifle” from his trunk; the gun turned out to be a BB gun, but the victim did not know that at the time and feared for her life and the lives of her children. McMiller then backed up his car to the victim’s parked car, momentarily blocking her car, before leaving the area.
Multiple Gainesville Police Department Officers made contact with McMiller and conducted a felony stop on his car. Before getting out of the car, McMiller allegedly threw the rifle out of his car and then briefly tried to pick it up again before being handcuffed.
Surveillance video reportedly corroborated McMiller’s post-Miranda statement that he got into a verbal argument with the victim, took the rifle out of his car, put the rifle in the back seat, backed up behind the victim’s car, and then left. He reportedly said he was there to go to the store, but he had not yet gone inside and that he had no reason to open his trunk except to take the rifle out. The video reportedly did not show him pointing the rifle at the victim or at her car.
A sworn complaint was filed in August against McMiller after he allegedly pointed a gun at another driver in a road rage incident on NW 13th Street on July 31, 2022. Another sworn complaint was filed in early July after McMiller allegedly threatened to beat up a school crossing guard; that charge was later dropped.
McMiller has four misdemeanor convictions. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $100,000.
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.Â
More dropped charges by the State Attorney?
Apparently, are they over worked?
Keep letting him off and maybe we will have him threaten (or worse) a judge or one of their family members and THEN they might get a clue.
That’s smart. Eventually, buddy is going to pull the same stunt on the wrong person; and get his ass blasted.
Let the vermin rid themselves.
It’s a huge parking lot that’s always more than half empty.
It’s a shame she didn’t ventilate him .pulling a bb gun . What a Dumb azz!
There’s about a million parking spots in that parking lot, poor crippled guy! 🤣he must have REALLY needed that spot!!😆😅🤣
Or maybe none of you know him at all. Nobody knew or realized he was on the verge of loosing everything and this one incident was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Don’t be so quick to speak on others when you don’t have a back story. Mental health is real! And as much as he could have found another parking space she chose to argue with a man while she had kids. She could have left with her kids before the situation escalated. Both parties are at fought. I once got into a physical fight with a woman who I begged to leave me and my friends alone because she had kids with her and this lady still decided to argue and attack us after we tried to leave. My point is stop opening your damn mouths speaking on any individual when you weren’t there and have no clue on what was really happening. Worry about your own pathetic lives and pray to god that you one day won’t have to deal with a mental breakdown or someone you love and care does.
There is never an excuse to pull out a gun and threaten someone with it. I’m tired of the BS mental health excuses. If he has an issue, then his family or friends should get him some help. Lord knows there are enough resources in this town for people to get a TON of that kind of shit for free. Stop with the goddamn mental health excuses already. And, with the availability of jobs right now, if someone is “on the verge of losing it”, it’s because they are too lazy to get out and get to work.
Stfu: stop making excuses for this guy. This behavior is not acceptable. He is responsible for his own actions. Who threatens a crossing guard? …c’mon man.
Stfu, one can be going through major life events and NOT threaten someone with a weapon. If your reply is that it was only a BB gun, if it looks real, in the moment – it’s real.
Also, not his first time using this tactic – negating your argument.
Stfu needs to stfu.
No but you definitely should.