Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Benjamin Bernard Ousley Jr., 18, was arrested last night for allegedly swinging a sword and injuring a man, along with endangering and traumatizing two children.

Ousley, who does not live at the residence where the incident occurred, allegedly kicked and punched the victim, who lives at the residence, and then picked up a sword and swung it at the victim.

A witness reportedly said Ousley picked up a sword that was in the residence and started “striking” the victim with the sword because he believed the victim was not supposed to be in the residence. The witness said two children, ages 9 and 10, saw the incident and were close enough to have been in danger when Ousley swung the sword.

The victim reportedly said he was kicked and punched by Ousley “numerous” times and ended up on the ground; he said Ousley then picked up the sword and attacked him, although he wasn’t sure whether he was ever hit with the sword.

The responding Gainesville Police Department officer reported that the victim had a laceration on his leg that could have resulted from either falling to the ground or being hit with the sword.

Both children reportedly said Ousley stabbed the victim with the sword.

Post Miranda, Ousley reportedly said he attacked the victim because the victim was not supposed to be at the residence or around children. He said he picked up the sword to intimidate the victim, but he had no intention of killing him. He reportedly denied swinging the sword and added that the children saw him unsheathe the sword and may have confused that for swinging the sword. He reportedly said he “saw red” and that the children could possibly have been in danger because they were in the immediate area during the altercation.

The officer reported that the children were “scared, hysterically crying, screaming, and hyperventilating,” and officers spent several minutes trying to calm them by talking them through breathing exercises and comforting them; one of the children reportedly had an asthma attack that was caused by the incident.

Ousley has been charged with aggravated battery and two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm. His criminal history is currently unavailable. Judge Gloria Walker 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.