A 59-year-old convicted felon was arrested after he allegedly threatened to shoot multiple workers who were repairing a water pipe near his residence in Dunnellon.
On Tuesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the 19700 block of SW 107th Lane in Dunnellon in reference to a man threatening multiple workers in the area. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a man, identified as Kelvin Jevandas Townsend, who was sitting in a chair in the middle of the roadway, according to the arrest report.
The deputy noted in the MCSO report that Townsend was sitting next to a table, and a black 9mm Taurus handgun was “in plain view” on top of it. When the deputy asked Townsend to remove himself from the area due to safety concerns, Townsend “became argumentative” and advised that he was not going to move.
Moments later, Townsend reached for the firearm, and the deputy detained him in handcuffs. The handgun, which was loaded with a round in the chamber, was secured in the trunk of the deputy’s patrol car, according to the MCSO report.
The deputy made contact with the four workers who had taken cover behind their work truck. The victims advised that they were fixing a water pipe when Townsend came outside of his home and “began cursing at (them).”
According to the victims, Townsend told them, “I’m going to get my gun and kill all you mother (expletive).” Townsend then allegedly entered his residence and returned outside with a black handgun in his hand. The victims stated that Townsend then sat down in the chair where the deputy later made contact with him, according to the MCSO report.
While in the chair, prior to the arrival of the deputy, the victims advised that Townsend loaded the handgun and “racked the slide back” to put a round in the chamber. The MCSO report stated that the victims took cover behind the work truck and contacted law enforcement.
The deputy returned to Townsend. After being read his Miranda rights, Townsend denied ownership of the handgun and claimed that he was unsure how it had gotten onto the table. He also denied speaking to the victims during the incident, according to the MCSO report.
A criminal history search of Townsend revealed that he has a prior felony conviction for grand theft in Broward County in 1989, and two additional convictions in West Virginia for carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony in 1997 and 2010.
Townsend was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $18,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill (four counts) and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.