GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A man wanted for aggravated assault who ran to his apartment and barricaded himself inside when a Gainesville officer spotted him Tuesday has been arrested, police said.
John Faunce, 48, is accused of threatening another resident with a bat Monday night, police said.
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When he was spotted Tuesday, Faunce ran to his Bailey Village apartment at the corner of Northwest 6th and 13th streets and began shouting at the officers, who heard what sounded like Faunce barricading his door, police said. They called in SWAT Team and negotiators to communicate with Faunce.
Faunce was alone in the home, but officers believed he had ammunition in the apartment. It was unclear if he had access to a weapon, but officers said it did not appear he was armed.
"We have some witnesses that live nearby that say they have seen ammunition in his apartment, so we want to use an abundance of caution in our response and make sure that everyone, including the suspect, is as safe as they can possibly be," GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said.
Police said Faunce had not threatened officers or anyone else, and at about 5 p.m., Tobias said the department was scaling back its presence at the scene but would continue to monitor Faunce and try to get him to surrender.
Not longer after some of the officers left, Faunce came out of the apartment, and the officers who remained at the scene ordered him to the ground.
He did not comply, and a K-9 was sent to catch him and keep him from retreating back into the apartment.
Faunce is in custody and is being treated for the dog bite. He will be transported to the jail after treatment.
Faunce has a history of mental illness and was involuntarily committed for psychological evaluation in July under a Baker Act, police said. He was armed with a chain and a box cutter in that incident.