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By Staff Writers
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A Gainesville man, Gaura Narada Thigpen, 46, was taken into custody yesterday evening after allegedly brandishing a machete and a baseball bat while threatening a neighbor.
The incident unfolded around 11:23 p.m. on April 23 when officers from the Gainesville Police Department responded to a disturbance at the Southern Pines Apartments, located in the 4100 block of SW 17th Place. According to the victim, Thigpen emerged from the nearby bushes and issued threats of violence, claiming he would shoot both the neighbor and the neighbor’s dog.
Armed with a machete and a baseball bat, Thigpen allegedly charged towards the victim with the machete raised, before retreating into his apartment.
Two witnesses supported the victim’s account, confirming that Thigpen was wielding both weapons and noting that he is frequently seen carrying a machete. They also reported witnessing Thigpen’s aggressive advance towards the victim while making threatening remarks.
The victim reportedly told an officer that there have been previous incidents in which Thigpen caused a disturbance and was confrontational, but he hadn’t reported them.
Thigpen reportedly came out of his apartment when instructed by police, and he said the victim had gotten confrontational with him; he said he doesn’t own a machete, a gun, or a dog and that the victim had threatened him. He denied threatening or charging at the victim and said he was just going home at the time of the incident.
Post Miranda, Thigpen reportedly said he had called the police because the victim was getting really close to him and his apartment; he said he shut the door and reported the incident to his landlord.
Thigpen has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has two felony convictions (non-violent), four misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and two traffic convictions; he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2008. Judge Bo Bayer 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.