Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities took Joseph D. Henley, aged 26, into custody yesterday, accusing him of threatening violence against a friend who had offered him shelter.
On May 27, around 1:32 p.m., a deputy from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrived at an apartment near the 800 block of SW 61st Street. The resident, who had allowed Henley to stay with her as a favor, reported that an argument between them escalated, prompting her to ask him to leave.
According to the resident, Henley retreated to his room and emerged with a rifle and his personal items. As he approached the front door, he allegedly threatened her life. Fearing for her safety due to the presence of the firearm, she quickly secured the door after he exited.
Before Henley left the premises, the resident managed to capture an image, which reportedly shows him with a hunting-style rifle strapped to his back, according to the deputy’s report.
Henley now faces charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and probation violation. His criminal history includes a violent felony from 2018, where as a bouncer, he assaulted a patron with an expandable baton and failed to assist the injured individual. The victim was discovered unconscious and in a pool of blood by a police officer 12 minutes later, with the bouncers denying any knowledge of the incident. Henley served a year in jail and remains on probation for eight years, classified as a violent felony offender of special concern.
Judge Meshon Rawls 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.
