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By Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours today, law enforcement apprehended 25-year-old Gregory Ahmad Pettway following allegations that he brandished a firearm at a woman in a McDonald’s parking lot.
Gainesville Police Department officers were called to the fast-food outlet located on SW Archer Road (3826 SW 40th Blvd.) around 11:20 p.m. on March 11. The incident reportedly began when two bystanders confronted Pettway for driving into the parking lot incorrectly. During the altercation, Pettway allegedly stated, “I’ve got something for you,” before returning to his vehicle. At this point, the female victim claimed she saw he had a gun, prompting her and the witnesses to quickly leave the area.
The victim provided a detailed description of the firearm, noting it had an extended magazine. She recounted that Pettway began to raise the weapon, leading her to fear he intended to shoot. She described him as a tall, slender Black male dressed in both a ski mask and a COVID mask, alongside a gray jacket and distinct “peach-colored” shoes.
One of the witnesses managed to capture a photo of the vehicle’s license plate, which assisted officers in locating the car approximately two hours later at the intersection of SE 18th Street and Hawthorne Road. Pettway was identified as the driver. Upon approaching the vehicle, Pettway reportedly acknowledged the situation by saying he “knew what this is about.” Officers observed that Pettway was dressed in black pants, light pink/beige shoes, and a white t-shirt. Inside the car, they noted the presence of a ski mask, a black COVID mask, and a gray sweater. Pettway explained that he wore these items to conceal his identity while working as a DoorDash driver and confirmed he was wearing the same outfit during the McDonald’s incident.
Post Miranda, Pettway reportedly said he was at McDonald’s and got into an argument with two people who matched the descriptions of the two witnesses; he denied seeing anyone who matched the description of the female victim. He said the two witnesses approached him, and he was afraid they were going to jump him, so he went to his car, grabbed his phone, and held it as if it were a firearm. He said he was trying to scare the two witnesses by making them believe he had a gun and that he acted in self-defense because he was outnumbered and was arguing with three or four people.
When the officer asked why he had re-engaged with the two witnesses after going back to his car if he was afraid, Pettway reportedly said again that he acted in self-defense.
Pettway denied having a firearm in his car. He reportedly said he normally keeps a gun in his car, but he moved it to his bedroom this morning. He said he had not shot the firearm that day, but his hands might have traces of gunshot residue because he had handled the gun before leaving for work.
Pettway reportedly gave consent for a search of his vehicle, and the officer did not find a firearm in the vehicle.
Pettway has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has one misdemeanor conviction for resisting an officer without violence after allegedly jumping into a car and trying to drive away while officers were investigating a firearm incident in Midtown in April 2025; at the time, he was on pre-trial release on domestic battery charges, but those charges were later dropped. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $60,000.
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.