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Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jacob Abraham Morris, 43, was arrested last night and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly pointing a gun at two pedestrians on University Avenue near campus.
A Gainesville Police Department officer responded at about 8:42 p.m. last night to the McDonald’s at 1206 W. University Avenue, where the victims said they had been walking to McDonald’s to pick up an order when they saw Morris walking toward them and yelling aggressively. They said he lifted his shirt to reveal a gun in his waistband, then pointed the gun at them.
The victims said Morris then ran across the McDonald’s parking lot and northbound on NW 11th Street, where they lost sight of him. Officers established a perimeter, and a K-9 track led officers to Morris in the 100 block of NW 10th Street.
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Post Miranda, Morris declined to speak.
Morris has a juvenile criminal history, four adult felonies (none violent), and 38 adult misdemeanors (two violent). He has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2010. He was arrested in 2020 and charged with aggravated battery for allegedly hitting someone with a metal wand from a pressure washer; the charge was reduced to assault and then dropped. He was convicted of domestic battery in 2020 and sentenced to a year of probation, which he successfully completed. He was arrested in November 2022 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly screaming at cars and threatening people with a knife; those charges were dropped a month later.
Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $200,000.
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.
