Deputies take down swordwielding man after standoff in Gainesville
Sep 25, 2026
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WSVN) — Deputies in Gainesville found themselves in a tense overnight standoff with a sword-wielding man.
Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies said 26-year-old Josiah Smith had broken into a home along the the 3400 block of Northwest 91st St.and forced the owner outside
, early Wednesday morning.
Body camera video captured deputies telling the suspect to drop the sword.
“I need you to do me a favor and throw that sword away, OK?” said a deputy on bodycam footage. “Drop the sword! Hold on. There you go.”
When he refused to comply with deputies, Smith was shocked with a Taser.
Investigators said the suspect didn’t know the victim.
Smith faces a list of charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
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