Homeless man on probation arrested for threatening woman with a switchblade; also allegedly broke RTS bus window and kicked and spat on police officers

Staff report

Updated on September 29 with current booking photo.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Keith Brian Thomas, 47, was arrested yesterday for allegedly choking a woman and threatening her with a switchblade; he is also facing sworn complaints for breaking an RTS bus window, along with knocking a passerby off a scooter and then battering two police officers.

A Gainesville Police Department officer reported that at about 8:16 p.m. on September 24, a woman told him that she had gotten into an argument with Thomas, her boyfriend, and she walked away from him in the 900 block of SW 6th Avenue, but he followed her. She said their argument escalated until Thomas choked her, impeding her ability to breathe.

The victim said Thomas pulled out a closed switchblade knife and told her to do what he said; she told the officer that although the knife was closed, she knew it was a switchblade because she had given it to him. She said she was in fear for her life, so she hit Thomas in self-defense, and he started hitting her. She said they both fell to the ground, where Thomas continued hitting her; when she stood up, Thomas fled the area.

The officer reported that the victim’s face was swollen and bloodied.

A different GPD officer made contact with Thomas on September 27 at the shopping plaza at the intersection of NW 16th Avenue and NW 13th Street, and Thomas allegedly tensed his arms, dropped to the ground, and flailed his legs in an effort to resist being placed in handcuffs; he was eventually placed in handcuffs and a rip-hobble.

Thomas is facing two other sworn complaints, but he has not yet been booked on those charges. On September 6, he allegedly became upset after being told he could not ride an RTS bus, so he punched the bus door window, shattering the glass. He then allegedly hit the cargo window in an apparent attempt to break it. The sworn complaint charged him with felony property damage.

A few minutes later, a GPD officer reported that he saw Thomas aggressively shove a woman off her scooter as she passed him on the sidewalk. The officer noted that the victim was not close enough to Thomas to hit him with her scooter, she was not blocking his path, and she did not exchange any words with him as she passed; she said she rang the “bell” on the scooter to warn Thomas that she was approaching, but he purposely shoved her, “launching” her off the scooter and onto the ground. Thomas then reportedly walked away. The victim sustained a few scrapes to her leg.

Thomas was detained, and as officers were trying to lift him from an unsafe position (face down in the dirt), Thomas allegedly became hostile and threatened to “kick the sh**” out of all the officers before kicking an officer’s arm.

Thomas was transported to a hospital for medical evaluation, where he allegedly continued the hostile behavior and spat on another police officer; the report did not state why he was not arrested at that time. Both officers were wearing their full police uniforms. The sworn complaint charged him with battery on a law enforcement officer and simple battery.

Thomas, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been booked on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery by strangulation, felony battery, and resisting an officer without violence. He has 11 felony convictions (eight violent) and 25 misdemeanor convictions (two violent) and has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in March; he is on probation for two battery cases. Judge George Wright set bail at $305,000.

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.