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Friday, March 29, 2024

Ocala man arrested after being accused of threatening landscaper with firearm

A 49-year-old Ocala man was arrested after a landscaper accused him of making threats with a firearm during a verbal altercation.

On Tuesday, several Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a residence on SW 30th Terrace in Ocala in reference to a man making threats with a firearm. Upon arrival, one of the deputies met with a male victim who stated that he was at the residence to complete a landscaping job for the homeowner.

According to the victim, a neighbor, identified as David Timothy Stewart, became upset due to noise that was being emitted by a chainsaw.

David Timothy Stewart
David Timothy Stewart

An argument ensued between the victim and Stewart. The victim alleged that Stewart placed his hand behind his back and stated, “I’ve got a knife (and) I’ll cut every one of you.”

Stewart then walked to his residence and returned with a long gun that had a clip attached, according to the victim. Stewart then allegedly told the victim and nearby witnesses that he would “shoot every one of you.”

The MCSO report indicated that multiple witnesses gave statements that supported the victim’s account. Another witness, who was a relative of Stewart’s, claimed that Stewart was holding a BB gun, and he overheard Stewart stating, “I’ll sting you three or four times before you get to me.”

The deputy interviewed Stewart, and he admitted to becoming upset due to excessive noise that was coming from his neighbor’s home. While he was confronting the victim outside, he stated that he saw one of the witnesses reach into a truck, and this made him feel threatened.

Stewart advised that he walked to the back porch of his residence and retrieved a BB gun. He claimed that one of the witnesses began to yell at him, and that was when he made a statement that he would “sting them three or four times” before they got to him.

When asked if a firearm or deadly weapon was ever pointed towards him, Stewart responded by saying “no.” He also denied making any threats to shoot everyone at the incident location.

The deputy located the BB gun that Stewart claimed was used during the incident. The BB gun was presented to the victim and multiple witnesses, and they stated that this was not the “gun” that they had observed. The witnesses advised the deputy that Stewart had been holding a long rifle with a magazine attached to it.

Stewart was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.