Man arrested for obstructing officer was just released in January after conviction on same offense

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Elijah Armand Cole, 30, was arrested yesterday and charged with obstructing an officer without violence after allegedly ignoring an officer’s commands to back up while another person was being arrested.

At about noon on Saturday, Gainesville Police Department officers were arresting a subject in a domestic violence incident when Cole reportedly walked over from a nearby house. As officers walked the subject out to a patrol vehicle, Cole reportedly walked up to the officers and stood right behind them while they were searching the person who had been detained.

Cole is known to law enforcement for violent behavior, including battery, firearm possession, and hostile behavior toward law enforcement. He was reportedly ordered to back away and was told he could stand a few feet away to watch and take a video, but he could not walk right up to the officers. He allegedly started yelling that he would not comply, and he refused to calm down, although bystanders also advised him to listen to the officers. He then allegedly walked quickly around officers toward the patrol vehicle and was detained.

Cole was charged with resisting arrest without violence in December 2022 when he refused to comply with orders from officers who were arresting him on a warrant. He entered a plea of nolo contendere to the charge on January 5 and was sentenced to time served.

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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. 

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