Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities apprehended Jeremiah Lamar Givens, 25, yesterday following accusations of threatening a man at the Majestic Oaks playground while allegedly carrying firearms. Witnesses claimed one gun, resembling an AK-style rifle, protruded from his backpack, while another pistol was reportedly tucked in his waistband.
At approximately 7:13 p.m. on April 6, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a reported armed disturbance at Majestic Oaks playground, located at 5800 SW 20th Avenue. The alleged victim recounted that a man dressed in camouflage overalls confronted him, accusing him of threatening his children. During the confrontation, the suspect reportedly displayed an AK-style weapon from his backpack and revealed a second gun in his waistband by pulling down his overalls. The victim expressed that the suspect was handling the pistol in his waistband threateningly and feared he would have been shot were it not for the presence of children nearby.
Numerous eyewitnesses reportedly called 911, alerting them to a suspect with a firearm visible from his backpack.
One deputy briefly observed a man walking through Building N’s breezeway before losing sight of him. Another deputy later encountered Givens near Building L, which is his residence. At that time, Givens was not carrying a backpack.
Another deputy noted the proximity of Building N to the playground and observed that Givens’ path to Building L involved a lengthy detour behind several buildings. The deputy also remarked that officers were stationed in front of Building L as Givens passed through Building N’s breezeway.
Givens reportedly said his children told him that someone had threatened them at the playground, so he went to the playground to talk to the person who had threatened his children; he said he did not have a gun and did not threaten anybody.
A search incident to arrest did not produce any weapons.
Givens has been charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony. He has three felony convictions (non-violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (non-violent), and he has a warrant out of Duval County for a traffic offense. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $50,000.
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.
