Gainesville man arrested for threatening woman with gun and baseball bat

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – James Denny Nickell, 35, was arrested yesterday after allegedly threatening to harm a woman and her dog while holding a baseball bat and a pistol.

At about 8:45 p.m. on April 7, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a call about an armed disturbance at a home in the 7700 block of NE Waldo Road; the victim reportedly said that Nickell had visited the home that morning, and then he returned at about 8:35 p.m. and demanded money that he had “lost” inside the house.

The victim said Nickell was holding a baseball bat in his left hand, and he gestured toward his waistband, where the outline of a pistol could be seen, while saying he had a .40-caliber pistol and would use it if his money was not returned. Nickell allegedly said he would blow the victim’s brains out if she did not return the money.

Fearing for her life, the victim reportedly started to release her dog, and Nickell allegedly threatened to blow the dog’s brain out.

A witness who was at the home stepped in between Nickell and the victim and pushed Nickell out of the house.

Nickell was not at the house when the deputy arrived, and he was found at his home about an hour later.

Post Miranda, Nickell reportedly said he had argued with the victim, but he denied having a baseball bat or pistol during the argument. He said he had spent the previous hour at a nearby creek, and he provided the exact location, but the deputy reported that deputies were unable to find any tire tracks or footprints on the “undisturbed, soft, and sandy terrain” at that location.

Nickell has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has three felony convictions (non-violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $100,000. She also ordered a GPS monitor and a curfew between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. if he is released.

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