Newberry man on probation arrested for pointing gun at girlfriend, threatening to “shoot it out with the police”

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Rafael Ramirez Robinson, 39, of Newberry, was arrested yesterday for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend and threatening to “shoot it out with the police.”

At about 11:50 p.m. on March 22, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to an apartment at Gardenia Gardens (1700 block of NE 8th Avenue), where the victim said she was sitting on her couch, trying to ignore Robinson, her boyfriend, who was yelling at her and throwing things. She asked another person in the apartment to call the police, and Robinson allegedly pulled a handgun out of his waistband, pointed it at her, and said, “I’ll shoot it out with the police!” The victim said there was a green laser on the gun and it was pointed directly at her chest.

Robinson allegedly slapped the victim’s glasses off her face, took the glasses, and left the residence.

The person who called the police reportedly said she did not see a gun because she was in another room trying to call the police, but she heard a lot of yelling and screaming and confirmed that Robinson was in the apartment.

A second witness was reportedly in the room when Robinson pulled out the gun, and she corroborated the victim’s account of the incident.

Robinson was trespassed indefinitely from the apartment in February.

Officers were unable to locate Robinson on the date of the incident and filed a sworn complaint. He was arrested yesterday in Newberry on two warrants.

Robinson has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery with a previous battery conviction, grand theft, and armed trespassing. He has six felony convictions (two violent) and 14 misdemeanor convictions (three violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2022. In January 2024, Robinson entered a plea of nolo contendere to battery, trespassing, property damage, and preventing a victim from calling 911 and was sentenced to nine months in prison, followed by three years of probation. After the March 22 incident, his probation officer requested a warrant for his arrest for violating probation by committing new offenses, and Robinson was also booked on that warrant.

Judge Meshon Rawls ordered him held without bail until the probation violation is resolved and also ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial on the new charges. Judge Rawls set bail at $250,000 on the remaining charges.

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.