A 37-year-old man is facing five charges after Hillsborough County deputies say he scratched two vehicles and then confronted the owners with a knife, threatening them. Deputies say the man, identified as John Hartman, ignored repeated orders to stop walking away before a deputy used her Taser to take him into custody.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the business just before 6:45 p.m. Monday after Hartman allegedly scratched two vehicles with a sharp object and then confronted the owners with a knife, threatening them.
HCSO reported that Hartman refused multiple lawful commands to stop and kept walking away from deputies as they tried to detain him. One deputy ultimately deployed her Taser successfully, and Hartman was arrested.
Charges Stack Up Against Hartman
Per the sheriff's office, Hartman now faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal mischief involving $1,000 or more, and a single count of resisting an officer without violence. Florida law, per Florida Statutes, classifies aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as a third-degree felony involving an assault carried out with a weapon but without intent to kill.
The sheriff's office has not released the business's name or exact address, nor has it detailed how much damage was done to the two vehicles or whether anyone was injured during the confrontation. Hartman's account of what happened has not been made public.
What Comes Next
No court case number, plea, or scheduling information tied to the arrest has been made available, so it remains unclear how the charges will proceed through the Hillsborough County court system. The sheriff's office has not indicated whether additional details about the incident will be released as the case moves forward.
