Gainesville man arrested for threatening to shoot relative and placing gun within reach of child

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Joseph Harold Wiggs, 22, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and child neglect after allegedly threatening to shoot a family member and then placing his gun at carrying a child in the back seat of a car.

Yesterday, around 1:45 p.m., a Gainesville police officer went to the 100 block of NE 21st Terrace, where the victim said that while she and Wiggs were arguing, Wiggs pulled out a handgun with a drum magazine from his belt and brandished it. saying: “It only takes one. » The victim said she feared for her life and feared Wiggs would shoot her if the argument continued. The victim said a woman picked up Wiggs in her car and there was a child in the back seat of the car.

Wiggs was allegedly found sitting in the passenger seat of the woman's car, with a child in a car seat in the back seat. An open backpack was allegedly found next to the child, with the firearm unsecured in the backpack. The drum magazine would have been loaded with 50 rounds, plus one round in the gun's chamber.

After Miranda, Wiggs allegedly said he had an argument with his relative, but never pulled out a gun or threatened his parent with a gun.

Wiggs has a misdemeanor conviction. An affidavit was filed against him in 2021 for allegedly trying to hit a former girlfriend with a car, but the charges were later dropped. He is due in court on June 17 after receiving a notice to appear for driving without a valid license on May 28. Judge Lorelie Brannan ordered him held without bail.

Articles about the arrests are based on law enforcement reports. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are charges only. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.