Staff Report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – In a startling turn of events, two local men, Anthony Lee Watson Sr., 65, and Jimmy Lee Floyd Jr., 37, were taken into custody following a violent dispute over an alleged unpaid debt. The altercation reportedly led to Floyd physically assaulting Watson, and Watson retaliating with gunfire.
The incident unfolded around 1:20 p.m. on June 17, as Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a residence on SE 223rd Street. Witnesses indicated that Floyd was possibly shot during the altercation before he managed to escape on foot. At the scene, deputies discovered two 9mm shell casings and noted a bullet hole in the home’s exterior wall, which penetrated into the living area.
Authorities then proceeded to Floyd’s home, located approximately a mile from the incident. It was there that Watson, who had already contacted 911 to report the shooting, was found. Both men were subsequently transported to the Alachua Sheriff’s Office Headquarters for further questioning.
In a statement given after being read his Miranda rights, Floyd detailed that the confrontation stemmed from a financial dispute involving Watson and Floyd’s girlfriend. Floyd admitted to striking Watson twice while he was seated in his vehicle. According to Floyd, Watson promised to retrieve the money from inside his residence, instructing Floyd to wait on the porch. However, when Watson emerged, he allegedly walked past Floyd, turned around, and fired shots, prompting Floyd to flee the scene.
The deputy reported that Floyd was not hit by a bullet.
Post Miranda, Watson reportedly said that Floyd had punched him in the face as he sat in his vehicle, so he told Floyd he needed to go inside to get a phone number so he could get money. He said they both went inside, and he picked up his gun; they both walked outside, where Floyd stayed on the porch and Watson walked back to his car. He reportedly said he turned around, pointed his gun at Floyd, and told him he needed to leave the property; when Floyd took a step off the porch, Watson said, he fired one gunshot at the roof, and Floyd fled through the house and out the back door.
The deputy noted that the bullet hole was nowhere near the roof of the house and would have hit the victim in his leg; he also noted that there were two spent shell casings in front of the house, not one.
The deputy also noted that Watson admitted to driving to Floyd’s home after the shooting, indicating that he was not in fear of Floyd, as he had claimed.
Watson has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has no criminal history, and Judge Adam Lee set bail at $250,000.
Floyd has been charged with burglary with battery. He has eight felony convictions (three violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served five state prison sentences, with his most recent release in April 2026. Judge Lee set bail at $250,000.
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.