Man who said he was on “neighborhood crime watch” arrested for threatening to shoot 16-year-old girl
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – James Patrick Burtnett, 68, was arrested yesterday morning after a 16-year-old girl and a witness said he displayed a holstered gun and threatened to shoot the girl because she was on a sidewalk.
At about 9:10 a.m. on Sunday, a Gainesville Police Department Officer responded to the 2300 block of E. University Avenue, where the 16-year-old victim said she was standing on the sidewalk when Burtnett walked up to her aggressively and told her to leave the property or he would call the police. During this interaction, Burtnett allegedly showed the victim a 9mm handgun that was in a holster at his waist. The victim told the officer she was afraid Burtnett would draw the gun and shoot her.
A witness reportedly saw the interaction between Burtnett and the victim and walked over, knowing the victim was a juvenile. The witness said she heard Burtnett say, “I will shoot you,” and the witness said she saw the gun.
Post Miranda, Burtnett said he is the neighborhood crime watch and was simply telling the victim to leave because she did not belong there. However, he later admitted that he is not employed by the property management at Harpers Pointe and acted on his own accord. He reportedly admitted displaying the gun without taking it from its holster after the victim “charged” toward him. Burtnett reportedly referred to the victim as “the kid” several times, indicating that he knew the victim was a juvenile.
Burtnett has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and child abuse without great bodily harm. He has no local criminal history; bail has not yet been set.
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.Â
Good for him. I’m sure he knows what’s up in his own hood. Next time he’ll be more sly.
They need to keep him locked up he killed my cousin on mother’s day talking about stand your ground
This is the same guy. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/05/22/18786676.php?show_comments=1
Less than a man. If it was my daughter he woulda had to use it that day, or get his mf issue.
Not my preferred sort of “crime watch.” Is this a “solicitation” area?
From what I gather, they put a new retirement community right next to some HUD complexes on East University with metal grates covering all the windows, steel doors, etc. What could go wrong?
Brilliant! ‘Affordable’ 55+ ‘community’ in the hood…..That does not excuse this bozo’s behavior.
This is not his first rodeo. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/05/22/18786676.php?show_comments=1
Harper’s Pointe is a well meaning effort at 55+ affordable housing. Alas it sits next to a convenience store, normally a good thing for law abiding citizens. The perp apparently overreacted after a recent crime spike there – due to the unfenced Section 8 housing rule designed to create more victims (for job security of public lawyers paying law skool loans).
This will keep happening until citizens demand common sense security measures at public housing projects like here.
🤡👹👿ACLU, DNC
sounds like GPD needs to hire him.
juvenile or not at least he stands on business.
not all sidewalks are public
They need to quit spreading out section 8 all over the place. They do that $hït on purpose. They didn’t like Springs County so they put section 8 apartments in Jonesville. Now people’s cars are getting broke into and houses getting broke into who knows what else we don’t know about. Keep that on the east side
Wyatt Earp of East Gainesville. What a polished turd.
This was a hate crime. His words was I’ll kill one more N*gger. There was absolutely no reason for him to confront the teen and he got away with murder on mothers day claiming self defense which needs to be reopened. This assault was completely unprovoked.
How do you know this. Did you report it to law enforcement? Have you gone to the State Attorney with your eye witness account from Mother’s Day and told them? If I had the true eye witness information you have I would want law enforcement to know so they could reopen the case?
I did as did several witnesses. He’s drawn his weapon in 2-3 other incidents where he walked up to the victims demanding them to leave the property. It’s not his job to police the corner store in a predominantly black community. In fact ask the store clerk of both businesses located in the plaza. He has a thing for bullying African. Americans and then pulling his firearm.
Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.. get off my lawn!!
He has a history. This is only one example of who he was involved with before coming back to Gainsville. https://www.goodtimes.sc/take-back-gets-flack/
This man has no history because Santa Cruz sheriff’s repeatedly let him off the hook for threatening all kinds of people with a gun. Even old ladies in Santa Cruz mountains. This person is a danger to society.
When he lived in Santa Cruz city police officers left him threaten homeless victims with guns, also get away with assult and battery.
They allowed him to illegaly carry conceal illegal guns he crossed state lines with from Texas.
He hides under the guise of public safety to threaten people of color, homeless and long standing stalk targets. He is a domestic terrorist.
I was one of his victims he kept death threatening and trying to stalk in person. I had to report him to federal government for local scpd to get him to not come anywhere near.
This man is a junkie on has oil. He claims to be against drugs while being a druggie and drug dealer.
Get him out of your town before he kills someone.
He already did.https://www.wcjb.com/2024/05/13/gunman-deadly-shooting-questioned-released-gainesville-pd-officers-say/