Gainesville man with 86 convictions charged with threatening woman with knife and saw blade at Food Max

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alfred Lee Knight, 55, was arrested early this morning and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening a woman with a knife and saw blade.

At about 4:33 a.m., a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Food Max (1304 E. University Avenue), where the victim said Knight had tried to cut her. The victim said she had been sitting in the parking lot of the Food Max with another person when Knight walked up and they began arguing. She said that during the argument, Knight brandished a “razor knife” and said, “I’m going to cut you.”

She said she took out a box cutter to defend herself, and Knight grabbed a “long blade with a serrated edge,” which the arresting officer described as a “stick saw blade.” She said Knight started waving the blade around.

The victim’s companion reportedly told the officer that Knight had approached the victim with a “razor knife” and said, “I’m going to cut you”; Knight then grabbed another unspecified weapon and began waving it around the victim.

A security guard at the store reportedly said he was in his vehicle and saw Knight approach the victim; he said they argued and Knight walked in circles around the victim with something in his hand, but he couldn’t see what Knight was holding. He said he heard the victim say, “You’re not going to cut me.”

Other officers took Knight into custody at 1007 E. University Avenue, and post Miranda, Knight reportedly said he approached the victim to retrieve some of his personal belongings, which led to a verbal argument. He reportedly admitted waving his hand in the air toward the victim but said he had no weapon in his hand; he admitted saying, “I’m going to cut you” but continued to deny that he had any weapon.

Knight has 12 felony convictions (three violent) and 74 misdemeanor convictions (12 violent). He has served six state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2022. He is also facing two sworn complaints: one for stealing and pawning about $8,000 in tools, and one for breaking into a vacant house and attempting to steal multiple window air conditioning units (three units were stolen and two were recovered). Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $75,000 on the aggravated assault charge; Knight has not yet been booked on the other two cases.

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.