In Gainesville, Florida, a bizarre incident unfolded yesterday when a man was taken into custody for allegedly resisting an officer’s instructions. The man in question, 38-year-old Braja Mandala Sanchez, drew attention after a fast-food employee reported that he had been brandishing what appeared to be a firearm inside the restaurant. Upon closer inspection, the weapon was identified as an airsoft or toy gun, recognizable by its distinctive orange tip.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:49 p.m. on June 5, when a Gainesville Police Department officer was dispatched to the Chick-fil-A on West University Avenue. A staff member recounted how Sanchez entered the establishment, settling at a table with multiple open bottles of alcohol in front of him. As she approached to request his departure, she noticed his shirt was raised, revealing the handle of what she believed to be a gun tucked into his waistband. Concerned for her safety, she refrained from confronting him directly and instead alerted her manager.
The situation escalated when the employee later returned to find Sanchez waving the gun around, prompting further alarm. Shortly after this unsettling display, Sanchez exited the premises.
A police officer soon arrived at a nearby bus stop where Sanchez was located. The officer attempted to engage with him, issuing directives that Sanchez reportedly chose to ignore, opting instead to gather his alcohol bottles, seemingly intent on leaving the scene. This led to his subsequent arrest for resisting an officer.
A GPD officer responded a short time later and saw Sanchez at a nearby bus stop. The officer gave instructions to Sanchez, who allegedly ignored the officer and started packing up his bottles of alcohol.
A second officer arrived and ordered Sanchez to stop, but Sanchez allegedly gathered his belongings and walked back toward the Chick-fil-A. The second officer tackled Sanchez, who allegedly resisted being placed in handcuffs.
A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a “black plastic airsoft or similar toy gun” with an orange tip.
The officer reported that Sanchez seemed to be mentally unwell or under the influence of a substance at the time of his arrest, and he was sedated by EMS before being transported to a local hospital. As a result, he did not provide any statements.
Sanchez has been charged with resisting an officer without violence. He has two felony convictions (one violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he served a nine-month jail sentence in 2025 for battery on a victim over 65 years old. He was arrested in April 2026 for threatening a maintenance worker while holding a hatchet, but that charge was later dropped. Judge Julie Johnson set bail at $10,000 on the new charge.
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