GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Terris Hunter, 76, was arrested last night after authorities allegedly found him carrying a machete and two knives at a University of Florida campus bus stop.
At approximately 10:55 p.m. on November 8, a University of Florida Police Department officer saw Hunter doubled over inside the bus shelter at Ballpark Way and Hull Road. The officer stopped to check on him.
As the officer approached, he said he saw the large black handle and part of a machete sheath beneath Hunter. The machete was later determined to be 18 inches long. Officers also reportedly found a filet knife with a 7.75-inch blade and an 8-inch serrated knife, both in sheaths.
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After being read his Miranda rights, Hunter reportedly said he cut grass for “Mr. Green,” but could not provide additional information about the alleged employer. Hunter said he communicated with him through “friends.”
A search conducted after the arrest reportedly uncovered a baggie containing pink residue and a pipe. Hunter allegedly told officers the pipe had been used for methamphetamine, marijuana and crack cocaine. While detained, he also allegedly threatened to “knock [the officer’s] a** out.”
Hunter, who lists an Alachua address, faces three counts of possessing a weapon on a university campus, three counts of possessing a weapon as a convicted felon and two counts of possessing drug paraphernalia. He has five felony convictions, including three for violent offenses, along with eight misdemeanor convictions, one of which was violent. Hunter has served two state prison sentences and was most recently released in 2024. Judge Lua Lepianka set his bail at $124,000.