Gainesville Police arrested a local man Monday afternoon after police said he stole from Publix and hit an officer.
At about 1 p.m. Monday, James. R. Durden, 59, walked into a Publix at the intersection of Archer Road and Southwest 35th Boulevard, according to a police report.
Durden walked down aisle nine and put about $26 worth of goods into a black backpack and walked toward the exit, according to the report.
A loss prevention officer and the store manager tried to stop Durden, but instead he left toward Southwest Archer Road, according to the report.
An officer stopped Durden about one mile away near McDonald’s and Exxon Mobil. The officer asked him to stand in front of a police car and show his identification. Durden refused to do either, according to the report.
Instead, he hit the officer’s chest and then walked east for 50 yards before the officer used a Taser on him, according to the report.
Durden’s last offense was in 2008 when he was found guilty of larceny, according to Alachua County court records.
Police arrested Durden on charges of petit theft and battery on a law enforcement officer.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he was released Tuesday afternoon on his own recognizance.
Contact Giuseppe Sabella at gsabella@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Gsabella
