Homeless man arrested for hitting dog repeatedly with machete handle

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chaun James Johnson, 33, was arrested early this morning and charged with aggravated animal cruelty after allegedly hitting his dog repeatedly with a machete handle.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Deputy reported that he was sitting in a vacant parking lot at about 2:25 a.m. and could see the parking lot of the Baymont Inn (6901 NW 4th Blvd). The deputy reported that he saw a man, later identified as Johnson, standing by a car with a back door open. He reported that he saw the man reach into the car, pull the dog out by the collar, and throw the dog about 15 feet; the man allegedly walked over to the dog with an object in his hand and swung it at the dog, but the dog dodged the blow.

The man allegedly grabbed the dog’s collar and picked him up so his front legs were off the ground, then threw the dog into the back seat of the car. The deputy reported that the man reached inside the car, still holding the object in his hand, and the dog could be heard yelping several times; the dog reportedly continued yelping after the man backed out of the car.

The deputy reported that the man reached back into the car, and the dog could be heard yelping again. The man allegedly grabbed the dog by his collar again and threw him into the parking lot, then picked the dog up and threw him back into the car. The deputy reported that the man reached into the car again, and he could hear the dog yelping.

The deputy drove over to the Baymont Inn parking lot to speak to Johnson, who was reportedly still holding the object; he reported that the dog was still yelping. The deputy reportedly asked Johnson to drop whatever was in his hand, and he reportedly said he was “disciplining his dog” and refused to drop the object. When he eventually dropped it, the deputy noted that it was a machete inside a sheath. When the deputy asked Johnson to walk to his car, Johnson reportedly said he was “disciplining his dog with the handle.” Chaun also reportedly said he has been taking out all his aggression on the dog lately.

The deputy reported that the dog had a fresh open wound under his jaw and another one on the scruff of his neck.

Johnson, who is described as homeless on the arrest report, has an unspecified criminal history in Georgia but no local criminal history. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $15,000 and ordered him to have no contact with animals.

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.