Homeless man arrested downtown for stealing soda, threatening to kill police officer

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Bernard John Rutkowski, 52, was arrested yesterday after allegedly stealing a soda from Relish and threatening to kill a police officer.

At about 1:40 p.m. on February 8, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to Relish (201 SE 1st Street), where an employee said that Rutkowski, who was previously trespassed from the location, had just stolen a soda. An employee told the officer that when Rutkowski entered the store, he was told he could not be there, and he took a bottle of Coke and left without paying.

The officer found Rutkowski in the 400 block of South Main Street and recognized him from previous contacts; he also matched the description provided by the staff at Relish.

A search incident to arrest did not produce a bottle of Coke, and when questioned, Rutkowski denied stealing a bottle of Coke.

After being placed in the officer’s patrol vehicle, Rutkowski allegedly threatened to shoot the police officer if he ever saw him again and threatened to cut the officer’s throat with a knife in the future; the officer also reported that Rutkowski threatened to blow up his car with hand grenades.

Rutkowski, who is described as homeless in the arrest report, has been charged with petit theft (third or subsequent offense), threatening a police officer, and trespassing after a warning. He has 20 misdemeanor convictions (one violent). He was arrested in 2022 for stealing an energy drink and breaking a glass door at Starbucks in the same area of downtown; he was later sentenced to 60 days in jail with credit for 60 days served in that case. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $65,000 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.