A Melrose man attacked and threatened to kill another man with an ax in front of a Mobil gas station on Tuesday, Gainesville Police said.
John Kenneth Roberson
John Kenneth Roberson, 40, was arrested after an argument with another man at the gas station at about 7:30 p.m., located at 5708 NW 34th St., became physical, according to an arrest report. Roberson punched the man repeatedly in the face and body, according to the report. Roberson then armed himself with a hatchet, or ax, police said.
Roberson raised the hatchet toward the man and threatened to cut the man’s head off if they ever met again, according to the report. The man, fearing for his life, then ran off, police said.
The victim’s lip and nose were injured in the fight, according to the report.
Later, Roberson was arrested in a Walmart, located at 5700 NW 23 St., police said.
After his arrest, Roberson told police he did not have a hatchet during the fight, and he was hitting the man in self-defense, according to the report.
He was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and simple battery and was taken to the Alachua County Jail where he remains, as of press time, in lieu of a $15,000 bond.
Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @Lewis__Robert.
