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Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Steven Michael Fuller, 25, was arrested early this morning and charged with two counts of aggravated assault on an officer, resisting an officer with violence, and two counts of property damage over $200 after allegedly threatening officers with a brick and a machete.
A 911 call was received at about 4:43 a.m. this morning from an anonymous male caller who said someone threw a brick through a window at Popeye’s at 1412 N. Main Street. The Caller ID was recognized as also being associated with previous incidents, and the responding officer noted that he believed Fuller may have placed the calls in an attempt to commit “suicide by cop.”
The first officer to arrive reported finding a man, later identified as Fuller, standing by a broken window next to a small pile of bricks; he was holding a brick in one hand. The officer then saw that he had a machete in the other hand. The officer reported that Fuller began walking toward him, so he gave commands to drop the machete and stop walking, but Fuller did not react and kept walking toward the officer; the officer walked backward around the store with Fuller following, and he said Fuller was staring blankly at him and would not respond to anything he said. Fuller’s behavior reinforced the officer’s suspicions that he was trying to commit suicide by cop. When Fuller heard police sirens, he picked up a mesh bag and started walking toward N. Main Street.
A second officer arrived, and Fuller allegedly threw a brick at the officer as he got out of his patrol car. The officer reported that the brick struck his gun and passed within a foot of his head. The officer drew his gun in the belief that Fuller would attack with the machete if he got close enough. Fuller allegedly walked around the patrol car, then stopped and raised the machete in a threatening manner.
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Fuller allegedly continued refusing to comply with commands until a third officer deployed a 40mm Less Lethal round, which hit Fuller’s bag; at that point, Fuller surrendered.
A search of Fuller reportedly produced a machete, a linoleum knife, and a hammer.
The damage to the patrol car was estimated at about $400; the damage to the restaurant’s window was estimated at $750.
Fuller has six violent felony convictions and was released from state prison on October 16 after serving three years for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer. Fuller is homeless and has been in Alachua County since his release from prison, but his listed address is in Pennsylvania. Judge Thomas Jaworski set bail at $1,650,000.
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.
