GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In an unsettling incident early this morning, 28-year-old Chadrick Rodell Smith Jr. found himself in handcuffs after allegedly throwing a metal trash can lid at an elderly woman aged 65. The reason for the assault? Her noise disrupted his sleep.
The incident unfolded around 1:10 a.m. on August 22 when an officer from the Gainesville Police Department responded to a disturbance call at the Rosa Parks Transfer Station located at 700 SE 3rd Street. When the police arrived, Smith, along with the victim and a bystander, were found trying to rest on adjacent benches.
The woman involved recounted that she had risen to use the restroom when Smith, clearly agitated, approached both her and a witness aggressively. It was then that he allegedly hurled a metal trash can lid at her, which struck her on the shoulder.
A witness to the event backed up the woman’s account, describing Smith’s approach as highly angry before he grabbed and threw the trash can lid at the victim. Both the victim and the witness stated they had never seen Smith before and did not know him.
Smith said he had been trying to go to sleep, but he became upset with the victim and witness because they were making noise; he reportedly admitted to picking up the trash can lid and throwing it at the witness.
Smith, who is homeless and was trespassed indefinitely from GRACE Marketplace in June 2025, has been charged with aggravated battery on a victim over the age of 65. He has three felony convictions (non-violent) and six misdemeanor convictions (non-violent); he recently served 49 days in the Alachua County Jail for trespassing at GRACE after a warning and was released in early July. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $20,000 on the new charge.