Newberry Man Threatens Police Standoff

GAINESVILLE – A Newberry man with a lengthy criminal record was arrested after allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend and threatening to engage in a shootout with law enforcement.

Rafael Ramirez Robinson, 39, was taken into custody on two warrants following a March 22 incident at Gardenia Gardens Apartments in the 1700 block of Northeast 8th Avenue in Gainesville.

According to the Gainesville Police Department, officers responded to the apartment around 11:50 p.m., where the victim reported that Robinson had been yelling at her and throwing objects while she sat on the couch. She asked another person to call police, prompting Robinson to allegedly retrieve a handgun from his waistband, aim it at her chest, and say, “I’ll shoot it out with the police.” The woman told officers the weapon had a green laser that was trained directly on her.

Robinson then allegedly slapped the victim’s glasses off her face, took them, and left the residence.

One witness, who had been in another room attempting to contact police, said she did not see the gun but heard yelling and confirmed Robinson was present. A second witness, reportedly in the same room as the victim, corroborated her account and said she saw Robinson brandish the weapon.

Police noted that Robinson had previously been trespassed indefinitely from the residence in February. He was not located the night of the incident, and a sworn complaint was filed. He was later arrested in Newberry on two outstanding warrants.

Robinson faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery with a prior conviction, grand theft, and armed trespassing. His criminal history includes six felony convictions—two involving violence—and 14 misdemeanor convictions, including three violent offenses. He served a state prison sentence and was released in 2022.

In January 2024, Robinson pleaded no contest to charges of battery, trespassing, property damage, and interfering with a 911 call. He was sentenced to nine months in prison followed by three years of probation.

Following the March incident, his probation officer requested a warrant for violation of probation, which was also served during his arrest.

Judge Meshon Rawls ordered Robinson held without bail on the probation violation and a pending motion from the State Attorney’s Office seeking pretrial detention on the new charges. Bail was set at $250,000 on the remaining counts.

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