A dangerous hostage situation concluded last night, July 2, 2025, with an officer-involved shooting in the parking lot of Bonefish Grill in Butler Plaza (Gainesville, FL). Tyrese Da’Jon Jones, 26, is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly holding a coworker hostage for several hours.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Combined Communications Center received a call at approximately 6:57 p.m. from a woman reporting she had been held captive by a known acquaintance, later identified as Jones.
The victim stated that she and Jones were part of a group of coworkers from Firehouse Subs who had gone on a work outing to Blue Springs. As the group returned to Gainesville around 2:40 p.m., occupants of a second vehicle flagged down the victim. When she pulled over, Jones allegedly approached her vehicle, instructed one of her passengers to switch cars, claiming the other occupants in his vehicle were acting strangely. As the switch occurred, another vehicle pulled over across the road. At that moment, Jones reportedly produced a handgun, pointed it toward the other vehicle, and ordered the victim to drive.
Throughout the drive, Jones allegedly made erratic and threatening statements, including claims that people were after him, and threats to kill the victim and then himself. A third individual in the vehicle was later dropped off at an apartment complex in Gainesville and confirmed that Jones appeared paranoid and claimed to have ingested MDMA.
Jones then directed the victim to drive around the Butler Plaza area before requesting to be taken to the Firehouse Subs location at 3221 SW 35th Place. It was at this point that the victim managed to contact law enforcement.
Deputies quickly responded and established a tactical and surveillance presence around the restaurant. It is believed that individuals inside the business, who were familiar with Jones, warned him that law enforcement was outside.
At approximately 9:51 p.m., Jones exited the business. During the encounter, Jones reportedly drew a firearm, leading an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO) deputy to discharge his weapon. Jones was struck, sustaining what appeared to be a minor injury, and was treated at a local hospital. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
As is standard protocol for deputy-involved shootings, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) was contacted and will conduct an independent investigation into the use of force. The deputy involved in the incident has been placed on paid administrative leave.
After being treated and released from the hospital, Jones was transported to the Alachua County Department of the Jail. He is facing the following felony charges:
- Kidnapping – F.S.S. 787.01.1a2
- Aggravated Assault – F.S.S. 784.021.1b
- Obstruction of Justice – F.S.S. 914.22.1a
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office stated, “We understand incidents like this are unsettling, and we want to reassure our community that the situation was resolved without harm to innocent bystanders. We’re grateful for the victim’s courage, the swift actions of our deputies, and the continued support of our community.”
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.