Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the early hours of today, authorities apprehended 30-year-old Clark Adam Hobbs. He faces accusations of assaulting a man by striking him on the head with a gun. Additionally, Hobbs has been charged with illegal firearm possession due to his status as a convicted felon.
Around 3 a.m. on May 19, deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a residence near the 1500 block of SE 27th Street. There, they encountered a man standing in the road, near a firearm that lay on the ground.
According to accounts from the victim and a witness, they were conversing with Hobbs inside the house when an argument ensued. Hobbs then exited to his camper parked in the driveway. Both the victim and the witness claimed that Hobbs aimed a gun equipped with a purple laser at the victim.
The victim recounted that he armed himself with a baseball bat for protection. It was at this point, Hobbs allegedly struck him on the forehead with the firearm before tossing the weapon into a heap of belongings outside the home.
The witness reportedly grabbed Hobbs and held him down to keep him from regaining possession of the firearm.
The deputy reported that the victim had blood on his forehead from being hit with the firearm.
Deputies reportedly found a firearm with a purple laser affixed.
Post Miranda, Hobbs reportedly said he was trying to defend himself from being attacked and could not say how the victim had gotten injured. He denied possessing or using the firearm, but he admitted to finding and acquiring it “after magnet fishing.”
Hobbs has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He has one local felony (non-violent) and one local misdemeanor (violent), along with an out-of-state criminal history between 2012 and 2021 that includes a felony conviction out of Rochester, New York. Bail will be set tomorrow.
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