Staff report
According to a Gainesville Police Department report, Williams and a second victim went to Turner’s workplace, Tire Depot at 1700 N. Main Street, around 6:50 p.m. Oct. 19. They confronted Turner over allegations that he had taken stereo equipment and jewelry belonging to the second victim’s father. Turner reportedly denied having the items. The victims told police that Turner then ran behind the building and disappeared for roughly 10 minutes before returning and repeating that he did not have the property.
After Turner left work, the victims said they drove around looking for his vehicle. They located it in the 1900 block of NW 2nd Street and allegedly entered it in an effort to find the missing items. The second victim told officers that Turner then ran toward them carrying a rifle. He said he believed Turner intended to shoot him.
Williams reportedly told police that she entered Turner’s vehicle to retrieve belongings that had belonged to her late husband. As she tried to remove the stereo and collect the jewelry, the second victim warned her that Turner was returning. Williams said Turner was carrying a rifle and that she feared he would shoot her “because he had nothing to lose.”
The victims drove away, but Turner allegedly pursued them and intentionally struck their vehicle, causing them to lose control and damaging the rear of the car. They eventually managed to get away, and Williams went to GPD headquarters to report what had happened. An officer later documented that the damage to the vehicle was consistent with the victims’ account.
While Turner was reportedly searching for the victims, he lost control of his vehicle. The vehicle rolled over and crashed on private property.
Police said Turner resisted arrest by grabbing one officer by the shoulder and placing another in a headlock. He allegedly broke free and ran from the scene, but a K-9 team eventually apprehended him. When officers asked him to place his legs inside the patrol vehicle, he reportedly refused, triggering another physical confrontation. Turner later displayed seizure-like symptoms and was taken to a local emergency room for treatment.
Officers reportedly recovered two realistic-looking pellet handguns and approximately 30 loose 7.62 x 39 rifle rounds from Turner’s vehicle.
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After receiving a Miranda warning, Turner reportedly told investigators that he was finishing his shift when the two victims arrived and asked about the stolen stereo. He said an argument followed and that the victims removed the stereo system from his vehicle, prompting him to chase them. Turner denied pointing a gun at anyone or striking their vehicle. He said he drove home after losing sight of the victims, then crashed because he was traveling at a high rate of speed.
The officer who interviewed Williams said she made statements that could be incriminating, so he read her Miranda rights. Williams reportedly repeated that she followed Turner’s vehicle to NW 2nd Street, found it unattended and opened the rear door without permission. She said she recognized belongings belonging to her late husband inside, entered the vehicle and tried to remove the stereo. Williams also acknowledged taking some jewelry but said she dropped it after seeing Turner approach.
Turner faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for allegedly striking the victims’ vehicle, along with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly pointing a gun at them. He is also charged with two counts of battery on law enforcement officers and resisting an officer with violence. Turner has a 2022 juvenile conviction and was on pretrial release from a June arrest in which he was accused of stealing a sound system from a parked vehicle. He also faces a Notice to Appear alleging that he shoplifted $101 worth of clothing from Walmart in May. In a letter to Judge Robert Groeb regarding the June case, Turner asked for leniency, acknowledging that he had made poor choices and saying he was trying to get his life “moving in the right direction… If you decide to give me leniency, I promise I won’t waste it.”
Judge Adam Lee set Turner’s bail at $225,000.
Williams was charged with burglary of an unoccupied vehicle. She has four prior nonviolent misdemeanor convictions. Judge Lee set her bail at $5,000.