A routine traffic stop Monday evening turned into a tense stand-off, Gainesville Police said.
Clifford Gerrod Ferguson
On one side, a man with a 12-inch knife. On the other, an officer with a gun.
The altercation began at about 7:45 p.m., after the GPD officer pulled over Clifford Gerrod Ferguson, 36, for failing to yield to the officer’s vehicle, according to an arrest report.
Upon stopping his tan Chevrolet Impala, the Gainesville man swung open his door and began yelling at the officer, at one point saying, “I’m leaving. I don’t have to be here,” according to the report.
When Ferguson tried to get up, the officer told him to sit back down. Ferguson then turned toward his passenger seat and picked up the knife, which featured a serrated 6-inch blade, according to the report.
Moments later, Ferguson pointed his blade at the officer, prompting him to unholster his gun and command Ferguson to put his knife down, according to the report.
Ferguson paused for a moment before complying.
Inside his car, officers found a marijuana cigar and three other knives — including a machete, according to the report.
Police arrested Ferguson on charges of aggravated assault on an officer, the unlicensed possession of a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of less than 20 grams of weed.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail, where he was released Tuesday afternoon on his own recognizance.
Ferguson could not be reached for comment.
Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield
