A disagreement over tape covering a doorbell camera in Melbourne allegedly spiraled into a violent confrontation involving a baseball bat, a rifle and a machete, according to police. Authorities say 44-year-old Timothy Blake Alexander attacked property representative Ruel Tummings Sr. inside a home on October 2, then followed him outside armed with a bat before retrieving a rifle from his trunk and pointing it at Tummings's son.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, Tummings had gone to address tape that had been placed over a doorbell camera when the confrontation began. Police say Alexander shoved and repeatedly punched Tummings inside the home before chasing him outdoors, bat in hand. Reports indicate Alexander swung the bat at Tummings's head during the pursuit.
Rifle Pulled From the Trunk, Then a Machete in Self-Defense
The station's report states that Alexander then retrieved a lever-action rifle from his trunk in the middle of the escalating confrontation. When Tummings's son arrived by car, officials say Alexander pointed the rifle at him. Tummings, officials say, pushed the rifle barrel away and grabbed a machete to defend himself, striking Alexander in the arm with the blade.
It remains unclear what triggered the initial dispute over the covered doorbell camera, per the same account, and a motive for the broader incident has not been established. Melbourne police, who provided information for the case, also discovered that Alexander was subject to an active Alabama protection order prohibiting him from possessing a firearm.
Charges and Bond
Alexander was booked on $25,000 bond, the station notes, and faces two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery on a person 65 or older, and a violation of the protection order barring his firearm possession. The City of Melbourne Police Department brought the full slate of charges following the investigation.
Florida law treats aggravated battery as a serious felony when a deadly weapon is involved or when an attacker intentionally causes great bodily harm. Under Florida Statutes Section 784.045, such a violation is classified as a felony of the second degree, a designation that underscores the stakes Alexander now faces beyond the firearm-specific counts already filed against him.
