Hawthorne man arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon after allegedly shooting at members of a hunting club

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Michael Dale Roberson, 44, was arrested this morning and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony after allegedly shooting at members of a hunting club who were hunting on the property next to his home.

A member of the hunting club contacted a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officer and said that members of the club had been threatened, harassed, and shot at by Roberson. Roberson lives with his mother; his father, who was an honorary member of the hunting club, died last year.

The hunting club member reportedly told the officer that in the last week of November, every time the club members hunted in the woods next to Roberson’s residence, Roberson monitored their VHF radio channel in his deceased father’s pickup truck. The member said Roberson has threatened over the radio to kill the hunters and their dogs if they come on or near his property, and he cursed the hunters out over the radio. The member also reported that multiple tree stands have been cut down by a power tool, and Roberson reportedly owns a similar power tool.

Officers determined that Roberson has two felony convictions, one in Texas and one in Florida, both for firearm theft. Thus, Roberson is not permitted to possess firearms.

On the morning of November 27, FWC officers surveilled Roberson’s residence and the adjacent hunting club property. As the hunting club members started arriving in the morning, an officer saw Roberson walking near the pickup truck, then Roberson reportedly began walking down the driveway toward the road with a pistol in a holster on his hip. As a hunter drove by, the officer heard a shot fired from a handgun from the wood line next to the roadway. He then reported that he heard a woman’s voice from the residence, telling Roberson to stop and come back to the house; Roberson then walked back to the house.

Multiple club members reportedly told the officer that Roberson is disabled; they speculated that he may be having a mental health crisis. The hunters said they were afraid that something bad could happen if Roberson continues to have access to firearms.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones 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.