Gainesville man arrested for threatening woman with a baseball bat

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Brent M. Nyman, 47, was arrested on Wednesday for threatening a woman with a baseball bat while she was trying to collect her belongings after moving out of his apartment.

At about 12:10 p.m. on June 18, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the 200 block of NE 42nd Place, where the victim said she had been living with Nyman in an apartment that Nyman had “rented” to her; she said Nyman told her she had to leave because he does not allow “tenants” to stay more than 13 days.

The victim said she texted with Nyman and told him she was on the way to collect her belongings and Nyman told her they were in the back yard of the apartment. She and a female friend went behind the building to get her belongings, and she said Nyman appeared with a baseball bat and said he was going to “beat them” with it. The victim said she was in fear for her life and retreated to call 911.

The officer said Nyman told him he picked up the bat because the victim is African American and he was afraid he would be “jumped” by her friend; Nyman also reportedly said several times that he was upset with the victim for failing to vacate the property on his time frame.

The officer noted that Nyman is a large man and both women are small (“approximately 5’2″ and 120 pounds”), so Nyman “would have no need to fear physical attack due to this size difference.”

A witness said she saw Nyman from across the street and that he was “being very aggressive” and calling the victim a racial epithet.

Post Miranda, Nyman reportedly said the bat was inside the apartment and gave permission for an officer to get it; the victim reportedly identified the bat as the same one Nyman had held while allegedly threatening her. Nyman reportedly said again that he picked up the bat because the victim is African American and he feared for his safety.

Nyman has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, although the arresting officer noted he “committed a felony while evidencing prejudice based on the race of [the victim],” a separate violation of Florida statutes.

Nyman has no criminal convictions but was arrested in January 2024 for a domestic incident in which he allegedly pulled a knife; the charge was later dropped. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $150,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.

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.