Man arrested after attacking employees in two stores, yelling “F*** Joe Biden”

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – David Andrew Frick, 29, was arrested yesterday afternoon after allegedly attacking employees at two different stores.

Frick reportedly entered the CVS at 311 SW 13th Street at about 5:40 p.m. and started punching an employee in the face. A store customer tried to pull Frick off the employee and was also punched in the face before Frick ran out of the store.

Frick then reportedly entered a business at 600 W University Avenue at about 5:47 p.m. while the employees were working in the back room, getting ice cream out of the freezer. Frick allegedly walked to the back room and started punching the employees while they crouched down to avoid the blows. The victims said that Frick yelled, “F*** Joe Biden” during the incident.

After Gainesville Police Department officers arrived to detain him, Frick reportedly refused to give his name and said it was “John Doe.” He also allegedly resisted being placed in the back seat of a patrol car.

Frick was previously charged with stealing hard drives from the history department at the University of Florida in December of 2021 and pawning them. He was declared incompetent to stand trial in March and committed to a state mental hospital, but he was declared competent to proceed in July.

In March, while in the jail, he reportedly had to be restrained because he was banging his head against the wall and making suicidal statements. While being treated for injuries caused by a Taser, he allegedly attacked a nurse at the jail. A few days later, he was charged with breaking a window at the jail.

At the end of July, Frick entered a plea of nolo contendere to charges stemming from the incidents at the jail (the charges of stealing and pawning the hard drives were dropped) with adjudication of guilt withheld and 18 months of probation with a mental health plan. He agreed to remain in treatment at Meridian Behavioral Health Services and live in the Lodge at Meridian.

Frick has been charged with three counts of battery (following a previous battery conviction) and resisting arrest without violence. He is being held on $20,000 bail.

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.