GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Howard Donnell Parker, 36, was arrested last night and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly threatening to kill people with a machete at GRACE Marketplace.

At about 6:39 p.m., a Gainesville Police Department Officer responded to GRACE (3055 NE 28th Dr), where the victim said Parker had come within an arm’s-length of him while holding a machete. The victim said he was afraid Parker would attack him because Parker believed the victim had stolen something from him.

A witness reportedly told the officer that Parker had been looking for a black bag and had been threatening to kill people with the machete. The witness confirmed that Parker had approached the victim while holding the machete and had made threats to kill.

The officer reported that surveillance video showed Parker approaching the victim, the witness, and other people while holding the machete.

Post Miranda, Parker reportedly admitted approaching people while holding the machete but said the others had asked to see the machete.

Parker, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has dropped charges and traffic offenses going back to 2013 in Marion County but no Alachua County criminal history. He was convicted on a felony battery charge in Marion County in 2015 and was listed as homeless on a 2022 Ocala Police Department misdemeanor arrest report. Judge Craig DeThomasis set bail at $5,000.

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.