Staff report
ALACHUA, Fla. – A 23-year-old man, identified as Tyler James Palatucci, was taken into custody early this morning after police said he allegedly aimed a firearm at a person he did not know during an incident at an Alachua gas station.
According to an Alachua Police Department report, an officer was dispatched at about 1:56 a.m. on July 27 to the Circle K at 16070 U.S. Hwy 441 after receiving a report of an armed disturbance. The reported victim told police that Palatucci had pointed a gun at him, making him fear for his safety.
A witness reportedly told the officer that she had been arguing with the victim when Palatucci approached and appeared to take her side. The disagreement then shifted into a confrontation between Palatucci and the victim, during which Palatucci allegedly displayed a gun and threatened the victim. The witness said she was able to calm Palatucci down and that he briefly handed her the firearm, but he later got into a white sedan and left the area.
While the officer was still speaking with the witness, a white sedan reportedly pulled back into the parking lot. The officer ordered the driver to show his hands, but the driver, later identified as Palatucci, allegedly reached back into the vehicle instead. The officer then forced him to the ground and placed him in handcuffs, according to the report.
During a search after the arrest, police reportedly found a .38 Special revolver and six rounds of ammunition in Palatucci’s pocket. The officer also noted in the report that Palatucci appeared to be extremely intoxicated.
After being read his Miranda rights, Palatucci reportedly denied arguing with the victim and denied taking the gun out of his waistband. When the officer asked how the victim and witness would have known he was armed, Palatucci allegedly said they must have seen the firearm through his shirt. The officer wrote, however, that he had not been able to see the gun through Palatucci’s shirt because it was concealed so deeply in his waistband.
During the ride to the jail, Palatucci reportedly acknowledged that he had argued with the victim but continued to deny pointing the firearm at him. He allegedly said he removed the gun from his waistband “in order to make the witness more comfortable whilst he took an Uber with her.”
Palatucci, who is described as homeless in the arrest report, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has an unspecified criminal history in Arizona from 2021 to 2025; Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $25,000.
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.
