Man on probation charged with burglary, theft, and battery on a police officer

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jaekwon Rashawn Keye, 25, was arrested last night for burglary and theft; he also allegedly injured a police officer while resisting attempts to apprehend him.

The victim told a responding Gainesville Police Department officer that she recently moved into an apartment at The Park (3643 SW 20th Avenue), and since she moved in, she has been noticing a black male “acting strange” around her apartment, standing around her vehicle or her apartment door, or waiting for her in the parking lot. She said he kept trying to walk up to her and speak to her, but she did not know him and found his behavior concerning.

The victim said she borrowed a firearm from a friend and kept the firearm hidden in her bedroom.

The victim said that on August 11, she found the man standing by her door when she came home; she asked him to leave and went inside. She said she closed the door behind her, but it did not latch, and the man opened the door and walked into her apartment. She said she told him to leave, he backed out of the apartment, and she closed and locked the door.

The victim immediately checked on the gun and discovered that it was missing. Noticing that the man was still outside her door, she yelled through the door, “Where is my gun?” and the man responded, “Open the door… I have your stuff.” She opened the door, and he gave her the gun.

After that incident, the victim installed interior security cameras, and while she was walking her dog on August 25, the cameras captured a black male in her apartment with a shirt covering his face and hair; he was inside for about 20 seconds and quickly ran out of the apartment. The victim said the man came out of her apartment as she returned, and she confirmed it was the same man who had been hanging out near her apartment and had previously entered her apartment. She said she discovered that $35 in cash was missing after the second incident.

The victim told an officer that the man was associated with a woman who lived in a neighboring apartment, and she described his vehicle; a detective knew from previous cases that Keye was associated with the neighboring apartment and drove the vehicle described by the victim. The detective created a photo line-up for the victim, and the line-up was administered by an independent administrator; the victim identified Keye in the photo line-up.

GPD officers establishd a perimeter at The Park on the evening of August 28 to arrest Keye, and when Keye walked out of the neighboring apartment, he saw an officer in uniform and allegedly began running eastbound through a neighboring apartment complex, where officers lost sight of him.

Officers saw Keye running behind businesses in the 2000 block of SW 34th Street but then lost sight of him again. An officer saw him at The Estates (3527 SW 20th Avenue) and told him to stop, but he allegedly paused and pretended to surrender before running farther into the complex. The officer reportedly tackled Keye to the ground on the south side of the apartment complex.

Keye allegedly struggled and fought with the officer, pushing the officer away to get distance; he allegedly said he was trying to stop but then violently twisted and pushed away. He allegedly struggled with the officer for over two and half minutes before four additional officers arrived to detain him in handcuffs. The officer reportedly suffered a large contusion during the struggle.

Post Miranda, Keye reportedly said he ran because he saw a police officer and added that he knew a detective wanted to speak to him. He said he resisted the officer because he was scared and could not breathe.

Keye has been charged with armed burglary of a dwelling, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a firearm, theft, battery on a police officer, resisting an officer with violence, and resisting an officer without violence. He has one misdemeanor conviction (violent) and is on probation in that case. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.