Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities detained 26-year-old Charles C. Bryant Jr. yesterday, following accusations of pursuing a family member with a metal BB gun in hand.
At approximately 8:05 p.m. on June 7, an officer from the Gainesville Police Department responded to a call at The Polos. Upon arrival, Bryant was found outside and immediately claimed he hadn’t chased the victim with the BB gun, though no questions had yet been posed by the police.
After being read his Miranda rights, Bryant recounted that an argument with the victim had turned physical, alleging he was struck and fell to the ground. Initially, he insisted that no one witnessed the altercation but later revised his statement to say that another family member intervened. Following their separation, Bryant admitted to grabbing the BB gun to intimidate the victim, acknowledging its potential to inflict significant harm.
During the incident, Bryant reportedly sustained a bleeding cyst as a result of the physical confrontation.
Post Miranda, the victim reportedly said he and Bryant got into a verbal argument that escalated into a physical fight; he said he let go of the victim, and the witness separated them. After they were separated, he said, Bryant grabbed the metal BB gun and said he was going to hit the victim with it. The victim said he was in fear for his safety because he knew the metal gun could cause great bodily harm. He said he ran out of the apartment, and Bryant chased him outside, holding the BB gun; he said he quickly called 911.
The victim reportedly had visible scratch marks from the physical fight.
The witness reportedly said the two men had argued, the argument became physical, and she pulled the victim off of Bryant. She said Bryant grabbed the metal BB gun and chased the victim. She confirmed that the blood on Bryant’s face came from a cyst that was scratched during the physical fight.
The officer reported that the metal BB gun was the size of an AR15 or a baseball bat.
Bryant has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has one felony conviction (non-violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (violent); he is on probation for fleeing with lights and sirens active in a December 2023 incident. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $50,000 and ordered him to find an alternate residence.
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.