Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On Tuesday, authorities apprehended 41-year-old Jermine Leon Daniels following accusations of brandishing a firearm at the downtown library earlier this month.

The incident occurred around 9:42 a.m. on November 7, when a Gainesville Police Department officer was dispatched to the library located at 401 E. University Avenue. The victim claimed that Daniels began harassing him upon his arrival. After a brief verbal altercation, the victim took a seat, at which point Daniels allegedly pulled a black pistol from his backpack and aimed it at him. Fearing for his safety, the victim dialed 911.

Daniels reportedly left the scene while the victim was on the line with emergency services but reappeared once officers were present.

Although an officer noted that the library’s surveillance footage was “unable to be reviewed” at the time, witnesses at the scene did not report seeing a weapon during the altercation. Daniels allowed officers to search both his person and his backpack, which did not yield any firearm, leading to his initial release.

However, in the days that followed, an officer reviewed the library’s video footage, which depicted Daniels and the victim in a heated exchange. After the victim walked away, the footage showed Daniels continuing to shout before retrieving a small black gun from his backpack, briefly pointing it at the victim, and then returning it to the bag. The video further captured Daniels walking to the back of the library to conceal an item in the bushes, only to return about 45 minutes later to retrieve it.

The officer wrote, “After reviewing the video, it is clear that Daniels was in possession of a small black handgun,” and he appeared to have hidden it in the bushes while the victim was on the phone.

Daniels, who is described as homeless in court documents, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He has 10 felony convictions (one violent) and 10 misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in March 2023. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $250,000, the same amount set by Judge David Kreider in Daniels’ arrest warrant.

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.