An Ocala man was arrested last week after he allegedly brandished a handgun at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.
A church employee told an Ocala Police officer Oct. 31 that a white male in a lime green t-shirt came to church, located at 1839 NE 8th Road, asking for another church employee, Edith. She said she told the man that Edith wasn’t there and he became upset, according to the OPD report.
Another employee, who was working in her office, yelled out that Edith was not at the church. The first employee said the man, later identified as 28-year-old Jacob Carl Harvey, yelled “tell that bitch to shut up” and displayed a black handgun. She said she was in fear and immediately shut the door and turned out the light. Harvey then walked away, the report said.
The second employee said she was in her office when Harvey arrived and she observed him to be wearing a lime green shirt and blue shorts. She said she heard Harvey ask if Edith was working and she said she wasn’t, and he yelled for her to shut up. She said she saw Harvey from her office window leaving with a black handgun. Other church employees said they believed the suspect’s name was Jacob, according to the report.
An OPD K-9 officer arrived on the scene and his dog tracked Harvey to his address of 958 NE 18th St., where Harvey exited a shed at the rear of the property and identified himself. Officers brought the two church employees to the location to conduct a “show up.” One employee identified Harvey as the suspect, while the other said she couldn’t be sure, the report said.
Harvey’s girlfriend, who lives with him, said Harvey has a lime green t-shirt in the dirty clothes and a black BB gun in his bedroom. He was arrested and brought to the police station, where he agreed to be interviewed, according to the report.
Harvey said he walked to St. Mark’s Church to ask “Miss Edith” for food from the soup kitchen. He said once he arrived, a skinny old lady answered the door and told him she wasn’t there. Harvey said someone else behind her also said Edith wasn’t there. He said he left the church and walked back to his residence, where the police located him, according to the report.
Harvey said he owns a BB gun but didn’t bring it with him to the church. He said he couldn’t think of a reason the church employees would lie and say he had a gun. Harvey gave officers permission to search his residence and a gun was not located, the report said.
Harvey was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released the next day on $5,000 bond. Harvey is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Dec. 3.