“Shoot me, shoot me”: Newberry man arrested after allegedly threatening deputy with hunting knife

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Updated on December 22: After spending 140 days in jail, McDougald entered a plea of nolo contendere to domestic battery and resisting arrest without violence, both misdemeanors, and was ordered to pay $728 in court costs and fees; adjudication of guilt was withheld. The felony charge of obstructing justice was dropped.

NEWBERRY, Fla. – Matthew Jeremiah McDougald, 19, was arrested yesterday after allegedly raising a knife toward a deputy and yelling, “Shoot me, shoot me.”

At about 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a call about a battery in Newberry. When he arrived, he reportedly saw McDougald leaving his home, carrying a backpack, a belt, and an object in a black sheath. When McDougald saw the deputy, he reportedly turned and walked away. The deputy reported that he asked McDougald to walk over and talk to him, but McDougald continued walking away. McDougald also allegedly ignored further commands to stop and talk to the deputy. The deputy then noticed that McDougald had a large hunting knife, and he pulled his duty weapon, pointing it at McDougald and ordering him to drop the knife and get on the ground.

McDougald allegedly continued to walk away, stopping at the edge of the pavement to tell the deputy he could not pursue him if he crossed the county line. When the deputy said he would be pursuing him for a felony charge, McDougald allegedly turned and ran; when the deputy regained sight of him, he reported that McDougald was standing in the middle of the road with the knife unsheathed. McDougald allegedly walked toward the deputy, yelling, “Shoot me, shoot me.” At one point, McDougald allegedly took several steps in an aggressive manner, then raised the knife as if he were going to throw it, then stopped.

When backup arrived, McDougald reportedly threw down the knife and fled on foot; he was tazed several times before deputies were able to handcuff him.

While being transported to the jail, McDougald reportedly made several spontaneous statements about an incident that had just happened in his home; deputies investigating that incident charged McDougald with domestic battery and obstruction of justice after he allegedly pushed a family member and grabbed his phone while he was trying to call 911.

McDougald has been charged with obstructing justice by hindering communication with law enforcement, domestic battery, and resisting arrest without violence. He has no criminal history; Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $160,000.

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.