A Middleburg man who walked along a Clay County road waving an AR-15-style rifle and threatening to shoot people is now facing six felony counts of aggravated assault, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Anthony Hagan, 36, was taken into custody Wednesday after a SWAT perimeter around his home ended with his vehicle in a ditch.
Residents along Short Horn Road called 911 Wednesday to report a man carrying a rifle and approaching vehicles while threatening to shoot people, as reported by News4JAX. The station reports several community members feared for their lives during the encounter. Patrol deputies, task force units and SWAT teams responded to the multiple 911 calls and identified the armed man as Hagan.
Deputies established a perimeter around Hagan's residence, and when he attempted to leave in his vehicle while SWAT members were monitoring the home, officers moved to stop him, citing his active charges and the threat he posed to the community, per the same account. Hagan drove his vehicle into a ditch during that attempt and ultimately surrendered to deputies, who took him into custody without further incident.
Sheriff Calls Suspect Dangerous and Erratic
Sheriff Michelle Cook described Hagan as a dangerous and erratic individual who posed a serious threat to the community, the station notes. She credited the team's quick response and coordination with taking him off the streets safely and promptly, saying the operation demonstrated how the agency's patrol and specialty units work together.
Hagan now faces six counts of aggravated assault and has an outstanding warrant for trespassing, according to the report. Under Florida Statute § 784.021, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill is classified as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine per count, according to the Florida Legislature. That puts Hagan's maximum potential exposure at up to 30 years behind bars across the six counts.
Sentencing, however, is likely to rest with a judge's discretion rather than a fixed minimum. In 2016, Florida lawmakers removed aggravated assault from the list of offenses subject to mandatory minimum prison terms under the state's 10-20-Life statute, according to the Brancato Law Firm, P.A. Separately, Florida law also classifies the improper exhibition of a firearm in a rude, careless or threatening manner as a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail, a lesser charge sometimes weighed in similar firearm cases.
A Familiar Face in Local Civic Fights
Hagan was not a stranger to Clay County before Wednesday's arrest. Just last month, a local petition opposing automated surveillance cameras gathered 1,001 supporters, according to a petition hosted on Change.org. FDOT's action prompted the countywide removal of license plate readers, while the petition helped keep the county attentive to the issue.
Florida's legal landscape around firearms has also shifted recently. In September 2025, the state's First District Court of Appeal ruled the general open carry prohibition unconstitutional in McDaniels v. State, though legal analysts note that brandishing a firearm or threatening others remains illegal under assault statutes, per Ogletree.
Pattern of Armed Standoffs in Clay County
Wednesday's incident follows a string of similar tactical responses by Clay County deputies this year. In August, deputies issued a shelter-in-place advisory in Lakeside while hunting an armed suspect accused of choking a woman and pointing a gun before negotiating his surrender. And in December 2025, deputies arrested a driver after a multi-mile moving confrontation along Blanding Boulevard in which shots were fired into another vehicle, leading to three attempted murder charges.
The sheriff's office also regularly relies on multi-agency task forces for major operations, including an August 2026 predator sting that involved six regional law enforcement agencies and resulted in 12 arrests. Despite these high-profile cases, Clay County's violent crime rate of 2.22 per 1,000 residents, based on 2023 Florida Department of Health data, remains below the statewide average.
The investigation into Wednesday's incident remains ongoing. The Clay County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to call 904-264-6512. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through SaferWatch or First Coast Crime Stoppers, which accepts tips through its app or by texting SAFEFC to 738477.
