By Staff Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gaura Narada Thigpen, aged 46, found himself under arrest last night following accusations of threatening a neighbor while wielding a machete and a baseball bat.
Police officers from Gainesville responded around 11:23 p.m. on April 23 to a disturbance reported at Southern Pines Apartments, located in the 4100 block of SW 17th Place. The complaint came from a resident who claimed Thigpen had been making noise in the bushes adjacent to his apartment. According to the resident, Thigpen emerged from the bushes, brandishing a machete and a baseball bat, and threatened to shoot both him and his dog.
Thigpen allegedly charged at the resident with the machete raised but then retreated, fleeing into his own apartment.
Two witnesses reportedly confirmed the resident’s account, noting that Thigpen was indeed carrying both a machete and a baseball bat. They mentioned that he “always” carries a machete and confirmed he charged at the resident while issuing threats.
The victim apparently informed an officer that Thigpen had been involved in previous troubling incidents involving disturbances and confrontations, although these had not been reported before.
Thigpen reportedly came out of his apartment when instructed by police, and he said the victim had gotten confrontational with him; he said he doesn’t own a machete, a gun, or a dog and that the victim had threatened him. He denied threatening or charging at the victim and said he was just going home at the time of the incident.
Post Miranda, Thigpen reportedly said he had called the police because the victim was getting really close to him and his apartment; he said he shut the door and reported the incident to his landlord.
Thigpen has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has two felony convictions (non-violent), four misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and two traffic convictions; he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2008. Judge Bo Bayer ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.
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.
