A 911 call reporting that a man had choked a woman and pointed a firearm at her set off a tense, hours-long search across a Clay County neighborhood, prompting deputies to order nearby residents to shelter in place while they hunted for the suspect. By the time it ended, 38-year-old James Julian was in handcuffs, talked into surrendering not by a standoff but by a phone call.
911 Call Reports Choking and a Gun
Clay County Sheriff's Office patrol deputies responded to a residence on Peoria Drive in Lakeside after a 911 caller reported that Julian had choked her from behind and pointed a firearm at her, according to a statement from the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Julian had already left the residence in his vehicle before deputies arrived, the sheriff's office said. His vehicle was later located nearby, and deputies established a perimeter in the area as a precaution while they continued searching for him.
As the search unfolded, the Clay County Sheriff's Office issued a SafeWatch Alert instructing residents in the Loango Road and Fortuna Drive areas of Lakeside to stay indoors while deputies worked the perimeter, according to Action News Jax. The alert was lifted later that afternoon after deputies persuaded Julian to return to the residence, the outlet reported. Lakeside, an unincorporated community of more than 31,000 people near Orange Park, is the most populous unincorporated area in Clay County, per the same report.
A Phone Call Ends the Search
While deputies continued to search for Julian, a sergeant managed to reach him by phone. The sergeant built a rapport with Julian over the call and convinced him to return to the Peoria Drive home, the sheriff's office said in its release. Upon his arrival, Julian was taken into custody without incident and arrested on charges of domestic battery by strangulation and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Domestic battery by strangulation is a third-degree felony under Florida law, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison, five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine upon conviction, according to statutes published by The Florida Legislature. Prosecutors must prove the offender intentionally impeded normal breathing or blood circulation to sustain the charge. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill is also a third-degree felony under Florida law, carrying a maximum of five years in state prison, and requires proof of an intentional threat combined with the apparent ability to carry out violence using a weapon.
No Mandatory Minimum for the Firearm Charge
Notably, Julian's aggravated assault charge does not carry a mandatory minimum sentence. In 2016, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 228, removing standalone aggravated assault from the list of offenses subject to mandatory minimums under the state's 10-20-Life law, according to the Law Office of Ryan Yadav. Before that change, judges were required to impose a mandatory three-year prison term for displaying a gun during an aggravated assault. It remains an open question whether Julian has since been arraigned or what bond conditions, if any, a Clay County court has set.
Domestic Violence Calls Remain a Persistent Strain Locally
The case adds to a heavy caseload for Clay County's domestic violence support system. Quigley House, headquartered in Green Cove Springs, is the county's only certified domestic violence and sexual assault center, offering free emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis helpline, and legal advocacy for survivors, according to Quigley House. The organization reported a 20 percent increase in overall service demand year-over-year as of December 2025, providing nearly 350 emergency shelter stays compared to 150 the prior year while its 46-bed facility operated at full capacity, shelter officials told Action News Jax.
Statewide, Florida Department of Law Enforcement data cited in 2026 shows more than 106,000 domestic violence offenses reported in a single year, resulting in 63,217 arrests and 217 domestic homicides, which represented roughly 20 percent of all homicides statewide during that reporting period. In Clay County specifically, FDLE Uniform Crime Reporting data shows the sheriff's office recorded 503 domestic violence-related arrests in a single annual reporting period, including 93 aggravated assaults and 383 simple assaults, underscoring how frequently these calls make up local law enforcement's workload.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office has previously highlighted its Victim Services unit, which employs dedicated advocates to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault through law enforcement proceedings, as Hoodline reported last year. Sheriff Michelle Cook leads the agency, which serves as the primary law enforcement authority for Clay County.
