Man on pre-trial release arrested at City park for battery on police officer, drug possession, and seven other charges

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Erik Dwayne Golden, 38, was arrested last night for battery on a police officer, drug possession, and other charges after he was detained for being in a City park after dusk.

At about 9:19 p.m. on March 3, a Gainesville Police Department officer reportedly saw Golden at C.F. Franklin Memorial Park (1504 NE 4th Avenue), which is only open from dawn to dusk; an officer detained Golden, and he allegedly provided the name “William H Wilson.”

While the officer was trying to handcuff Golden, he allegedly ran from the officer, and when he was caught, he allegedly kicked an officer in the stomach and continued kicking while officers tried to subdue him. He also allegedly resisted by rolling on the ground and pulling his arms away from the officers.

Golden allegedly grabbed a taser device from an officer’s hands while another officer was trying to deploy his taser. He was eventually placed in handcuffs.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced 0.4 grams of methamphetamine and two glass pipes.

Officers also confirmed that there were warrants for Golden’s arrest for failure to appear at a hearing on two misdemeanor cases, one for shoplifting items worth $285 from Walmart and one for stealing car keys from a woman he was dating.

Golden has been charged with depriving a police officer of his means of protection, battery on a police officer, possession of a controlled substance, resisting an officer with violence, resisting an officer without violence, providing false identification information to a police officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of drugs in a City park, and trespassing in a City park after hours.

Golden has three felony convictions (two violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2020. Along with the two pending misdemeanor cases in Alachua County, he is also on pre-trial release for a Putnam County misdemeanor case. Sworn complaints have been filed against Golden for three separate vehicle thefts in 2024 and a robbery case from 2023, but he has not been booked on any of those charges.

Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $149,000 on the new charges and $2,500 each for the two warrants.

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.