Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 40-year-old man, Brandon Levelle Lindsey, faces serious charges of attempted homicide and aggravated battery following a violent altercation early Tuesday morning. Allegedly, Lindsey attacked two individuals with a folding camp saw.

The incident unfolded after a female victim encountered Lindsey at a Steak ‘n Shake located at 3714 SW 42nd St. around 5:15 a.m. She had gone there to retrieve her e-bike from him. An argument ensued, during which Lindsey reportedly assaulted her with a folding camp saw. The victim recounted her attempt to fend off the blade, resulting in lacerations on her hands, consistent with her account, according to the responding officer from the Gainesville Police Department.

A male bystander, who was on the opposite side of SW 42nd Street, overheard the dispute and intervened. He reported that upon reaching the scene, he engaged in a verbal confrontation with Lindsey. The situation escalated when Lindsey allegedly threatened him with the saw, saying, “No, you’re not… I’ll kill you.” The man described how Lindsey knocked him to the ground and attempted to use the saw on his neck while making threats. In a desperate move to defend himself, the man said he “fish-hooked” Lindsey, leading to Lindsey biting his finger. The male victim managed to escape, sustaining cuts on his arm that corroborated his version of events.

When questioned by officers about the incident, Lindsey reportedly fled the scene. He was later spotted in a Walmart parking lot and attempted to evade capture by running into nearby woods, where he was eventually apprehended.

A witness from a nearby hotel corroborated the commotion, noting that he observed one man on the ground with others nearby, all engaged in a heated exchange.

Post Miranda, Lindsey reportedly said the male victim had the camp saw first, and he took it from him, then the female victim grabbed the blade, and they all started wrestling over it. He said that after they finished wrestling, he voluntarily walked over to a police car and presented his ID and a pocket knife. He said he had the camp saw, but he ran when he was asked about it because it wasn’t his and his fingerprints would be on it. He said he fled at Walmart because he was nervous, but then he gave up because he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Lindsey has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated battery, and resisting an officer without violence. He has four felony convictions (three violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and has served four state prison sentences, with his most recent release in December 2023. He was arrested in Gainesville on September 20 for drug possession after he was identified as the suspect in an armed disturbance with a knife; he was not charged with anything related to the knife or the armed disturbance and was released on $10,000 bail. Judge William Davis ordered him held without bail on the new charges, 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.