Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Early this morning, 37-year-old Robert Wayne Masey was taken into custody for disorderly conduct due to intoxication and violating open container laws. Additional charges were placed after he allegedly assaulted and threatened police officers both at a local hospital and later at the jail.

At approximately 1:45 a.m. on July 19, an officer from the Gainesville Police Department answered a call from the Arcade Bar located at 15 N. Main Street. Reports indicated that Masey was outside the establishment, shouting and using foul language. The officer noted that Masey was holding an open can of Four Loko Gold, which contravenes the City’s open container regulations. Furthermore, Masey appeared visibly intoxicated; he was barefoot, struggling to stand, and noticeably swaying.

The officer purportedly issued several verbal warnings for Masey to vacate the premises, yet Masey allegedly refused to comply or dispose of the beverage can, leading to disruptions in the business’s operations.

Two officers placed Masey under arrest, and he allegedly resisted being placed in handcuffs but was eventually handcuffed.

While being transported to a local hospital, Masey allegedly refused to get out of the patrol car and had to be “physically assisted” out of the car. He allegedly threatened to “head-butt” an officer and said he would “beat [him] to sleep,” adding a racial epithet.

Masey’s handcuffs had to be removed so the nurses could perform scans on him, and he was allegedly verbally abusive to a nurse. After the scans, an officer attempted to place Masey back in handcuffs, but Masey allegedly threatened to hit the officer and then hit him; the officer was not injured.

While Masey was being walked into the jail, he allegedly demanded that officers remove the handcuffs and threatened to kill and slap an officer, adding a racial epithet to the threats.

Masey, whose address is listed as St. Francis House, has been charged with an open container violation, disorderly intoxication, two counts of resisting an officer without violence, two counts of assault on a police officer, battery on a police officer, and threatening to kill a police officer. He has nine felony convictions (non-violent) and nine misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and has served four state prison sentences, with his last release in 2023. He was last arrested in May 2025 for trespassing and was fined $326 after entering a plea of nolo contendere to the charge; he has not paid the fine yet.

Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $153,000.

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.