Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Santa Fe College student early Tuesday morning after police said he threatened people with an AK-47 rifle.
At about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, Kyle J. Raulerson, 19, drove to Majestic Oaks Apartments after his girlfriend called and said people were fighting around her, according to a police report.
Police said Raulerson stepped out of his truck with the AK-47, but Raulerson said he took the rifle from his friend, who isn’t licensed to carry it.
Raulerson said about 50 people were in the area, but he never intended to use the gun.
“Even if someone was coming at me and I had to kill them to protect my own life, I’d still feel bad,” he said.
A group of people later walked toward Raulerson and he cocked the AK-47, loading a round into the chamber, according to the report.
“I was trying to protect my baby’s mother and the people that were with me,” he said.
Police said it wasn’t self-defense because he left the safety of his truck and walked through the parking lot with his rifle, according to the report.
Raulerson is a non-degree seeking student at Santa Fe College, Registrar Mike Hutley said.
Police arrested Raulerson on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a firearm.
Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he was released Tuesday afternoon on a $20,000 bond.
Contact Giuseppe Sabella at gsabella@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Gsabella
