Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Khalil Keari Barnett, 29, was arrested last night after allegedly battering a woman and then discarding a loaded firearm and drugs while fleeing from deputies.

An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy reported that at about 9:21 p.m. on August 7, the victim’s mother called 911 to report that Barnett was hitting the victim; when the deputy arrived at the residence on SW 17th Place in the Tower Oaks neighborhood, he learned that Barnett had fled.

Deputies later found Barnett near SW 17th Road and SW 74th Drive and tried to detain him, but he allegedly ran, and deputies reportedly saw him discard a firearm and a large bag of marijuana; he was eventually arrested.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced about 16.4 grams of marijuana and a box of ammunition with 13 bullets on Barnett’s person; a Glock 42 with six rounds of ammunition and a shopping bag containing over one pound of marijuana were reportedly found along Barnett’s path.

Post Miranda, Barnett reportedly said that he and the victim had engaged in a verbal argument and nothing ever became physical, but he later said he “acted off reflex” to get the victim away from him. He reportedly said he fled because he did not want to “catch a domestic” charge and that he ran when he saw deputies because he knew it was “time to go to jail.” He reportedly said the discarded marijuana was his and that it was all for personal use because he “smokes a lot of weed.”

Barnett was arrested about 600 feet from a child care facility and about 800 feet from a school.

Barnett has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school/child care facility, two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence, battery with a prior battery conviction (a felony), and resisting an officer without violence. He has juvenile convictions between 2008 and 2014, one adult felony conviction (non-violent), and four adult misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2021. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $256,000 on the charges but requested additional probable cause for the charge of tampering with evidence.

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.