Man charged with hitting and threatening police officers after being arrested downtown for disorderly intoxication

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Wayne Masey, 37, was arrested early this morning for disorderly intoxication and an open container violation, and more charges were added after he allegedly hit and threatened police officers at a local hospital and at the jail.

At about 1:45 a.m. on July 19, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call from the Arcade Bar (15 N. Main Street), where Masey was allegedly standing in front of the business, yelling and using profane language. The officer reported that Masey was holding an open can of Four Loko Gold, a violation of the City’s open container ordinance, and was visibly intoxicated; the officer also reported that Masey was not wearing shoes, could barely stand, and was swaying.

The officer reportedly gave Masey “numerous” verbal warnings to leave the area, but Masey allegedly refused to leave or to discard the can, and his actions reportedly disrupted the normal function of the business.

Two officers placed Masey under arrest, and he allegedly resisted being placed in handcuffs but was eventually handcuffed.

While being transported to a local hospital, Masey allegedly refused to get out of the patrol car and had to be “physically assisted” out of the car. He allegedly threatened to “head-butt” an officer and said he would “beat [him] to sleep,” adding a racial epithet.

Masey’s handcuffs had to be removed so the nurses could perform scans on him, and he was allegedly verbally abusive to a nurse. After the scans, an officer attempted to place Masey back in handcuffs, but Masey allegedly threatened to hit the officer and then hit him; the officer was not injured.

While Masey was being walked into the jail, he allegedly demanded that officers remove the handcuffs and threatened to kill and slap an officer, adding a racial epithet to the threats.

Masey, whose address is listed as St. Francis House, has been charged with an open container violation, disorderly intoxication, two counts of resisting an officer without violence, two counts of assault on a police officer, battery on a police officer, and threatening to kill a police officer. He has nine felony convictions (non-violent) and nine misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and has served four state prison sentences, with his last release in 2023. He was last arrested in May 2025 for trespassing and was fined $326 after entering a plea of nolo contendere to the charge; he has not paid the fine yet.

Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $153,000.

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.