Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Reginald Lawson Gill, 56, was arrested yesterday on a warrant for shoplifting after a chase through the woods near the Depot Avenue bike trail.

At about 10:59 a.m. on July 26, a Gainesville Police Department officer was reviewing security video at Wawa (1007 E. University Avenue) while investigating a different incident when he saw Gill walk into the store, steal four bags of chips, and walk out without paying. The officer reported that as he continued to review the video, he saw Gill come back into the store, take a bag of ice from the cooler, walk around the store until there were no employees near the back door, and then walk out without paying.

The store manager reportedly asked the officer to trespass Gill from Wawa. After leaving the store, the officer was near the Depot Avenue bike trail in the 1100 block of SE 2nd Avenue when he saw Gill, who was wearing the same clothing he had worn at Wawa.

The officer walked toward Gill, who reportedly walked away. The officer told Gill to stop, and Gill reportedly stopped and provided his identification. When the officer learned that Gill had a warrant for shoplifting, Gill reportedly asked the officer to let him go because he hadn’t been in trouble for seven years and was just having a rough time.

The officer moved toward Gill, and Gill allegedly ran into the wood line, ignoring multiple commands to stop and get on the ground. The deputy pulled out his taser, but Gill allegedly kept running, although he was slowed by thorn bushes. The deputy deployed his taser when he had a clear shot and detained Gill.

Gill has been charged with resisting an officer without violence and booked on a warrant for stealing clothes and shrimp from the Walmart at Butler Plaza on May 19 (a felony because of prior convictions for theft). He has 13 felony convictions (one violent) and 17 misdemeanor convictions (three violent); he has served six state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2021. Judge Donna Keim set bail at $15,000 on the new charge, and Judge Denise Ferrero had previously set bail at $10,000 on the shoplifting charge.

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.