Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gregory Ahmad Pettway, 25, found himself in police custody this morning following accusations of brandishing a firearm at a woman in the parking lot of a McDonald’s.

Around 11:20 p.m. on March 11, officers from the Gainesville Police Department were dispatched to the McDonald’s located on SW Archer Road (3826 SW 40th Blvd.). The incident unfolded after two bystanders reportedly confronted a man who had driven into the parking lot against the flow of traffic. Allegedly, the man responded with, “I’ve got something for you,” before returning to his vehicle. The woman involved alerted that he had a gun, prompting her and the two witnesses to drive away.

The woman described the weapon as having an extended magazine and claimed the man began to lift it as though he intended to shoot, leaving her fearful for her life. She depicted the suspect as a tall, slender Black man, masked with both a ski and a COVID mask, dressed in a gray jacket and distinctive “peach-colored” shoes.

A witness managed to capture the car’s license plate, and approximately two hours later, officers located the vehicle near the intersection of SE 18th Street and Hawthorne Road, identifying Pettway as the driver. Upon approach, Pettway reportedly remarked, “I know what this is about.” The officer observed Pettway wearing black pants, light pink/beige shoes, and a white t-shirt. Inside the vehicle, items matching the initial description—a ski mask, a black COVID mask, and a gray sweater—were visible. Pettway claimed he wore these items to conceal his identity while delivering for DoorDash, admitting he wore the same attire at McDonald’s.

After being read his Miranda rights, Pettway acknowledged visiting McDonald’s and engaging in a dispute with two individuals resembling the witnesses. He, however, denied encountering anyone that fit the woman’s description. Pettway asserted that he felt threatened by the two witnesses, fearing they might attack him. He said he retrieved his phone from his car and pretended it was a gun to intimidate them, claiming he acted in self-defense as he was outnumbered during the altercation.

When the officer asked why he had re-engaged with the two witnesses after going back to his car if he was afraid, Pettway reportedly said again that he acted in self-defense.

Pettway denied having a firearm in his car. He reportedly said he normally keeps a gun in his car, but he moved it to his bedroom this morning. He said he had not shot the firearm that day, but his hands might have traces of gunshot residue because he had handled the gun before leaving for work.

Pettway reportedly gave consent for a search of his vehicle, and the officer did not find a firearm in the vehicle.

Pettway has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has one misdemeanor conviction for resisting an officer without violence after allegedly jumping into a car and trying to drive away while officers were investigating a firearm incident in Midtown in April 2025; at the time, he was on pre-trial release on domestic battery charges, but those charges were later dropped. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $60,000.

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.