During late-night brawl, man pulls out rifle
A downtown scuffle escalated Friday after someone pulled out a rifle.
At about 2 a.m., four Florida men got into a fight with another man at 300 W. University Ave., near Flaco’s Cuban Bakery & Coffee, according to a police report.
Jeffrey Wayne Bowyer, 23, of Jacksonville, started the fight by hitting the man until he lost consciousness, according to the report. Caleb Benjamin Sullivan, 19, of Sanderson; Storm Garrett Miller, 20, of McClenny; and Jacob Tyler Theophile, 19, of Glen St. Mary, then began punching the man repeatedly.
In the midst of the punches, a bystander grabbed a rifle from his car, loaded it with a single bullet and yelled for the men to stop, according to the report. He said Bowyer and Miller had talked about killing him.
Bowyer then punched the bystander in the face and took the weapon before striking the first man in the head with the rifle’s butt, according to the report. Bowyer told police he took the rifle because he was afraid of being shot.
The first man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, and the second was taken for minor injuries, according to the report.
Police arrested Miller and Bowyer on charges of felony battery, and Sullivan and Theophile on charges of simple battery. Authorities took them to the Alachua County Jail where Sullivan, Miller and Theophile were later released.
Bowyer remains in jail in lieu of a $70,000 bond.
After two women refused $7 fare, driver tries running them over
A Gainesville woman tried to hit two other women with her car Sunday morning, Gainesville Police said.
At about 1 a.m., Alicia Nicole Walker, 22, drove two women from a nightclub for $7 in gas money. However, once Walker drove them to the 1700 block of Northeast Eighth Avenue, they asked for their money back, according to the report.
The two didn’t feel the ride was worth $7, according to the report.
At this, Walker became irate, shifting her car into drive and attempting to run the first woman over, according to the report. The woman barely moved out of the way in time.
After multiple attempts to hit the women, Walker drove away quickly and erratically before crashing into a pole, according to the report. The second woman said she was afraid Walker would run them over.
Police arrested Walker on charges of aggravated assault and criminal mischief. Authorities took her to the Alachua County Jail where, as of press time, she remains without bond.
On Saturday, during the UF football game, University Police ejected three fans for alcohol possession, five for disorderly conduct, 11 for intoxication, three for smoking and one for not having a ticket, according to a statement issued by UPD.
One was arrested for trespassing after warning and two for resisting.
UF student hit man over head with beer bottle
A UF student struck a man in the face with a beer bottle Friday at Midtown, Gainesville Police said.
At about midnight, the man grabbed a beer from 21-year-old Jackson Robert Hynes, who bought the beer for a woman at 1702 W. University Ave., according to a police report.
The man gave the beer to the woman, which provoked Hynes, according to the report.
Hynes then struck the man over his left eye with a Bud Light bottle, leaving a small cut about an inch long, according to the report.
Hynes is listed as a student in UF’s online student directory.
The man told police the woman had asked him to get the beer from Hynes, whom she called a friend, according to the report.
Upon receiving the beer — a Corona Light — the woman thanked the man. And as the two spoke, Hynes hit him.
GPD recovered a broken Bud Light bottle from an employee, according to the report. The employee found it on the floor near where the incident occurred.
Hynes declined to comment on the arrest.
Police arrested Hynes on a charge of aggravated battery. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he was later released.
