A man’s first day on the job reportedly went off the rails in Marion County, ending with an argument, a fistfight, a knife and a trip to jail.
Adam Derek Leslie, 41, was arrested Monday, Aug. 25, after Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 14600 block of Southwest 16th Street in Ocala following reports of a man acting erratically and threatening people with a knife. Leslie was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, simple assault and theft of utility services.
According to the arrest affidavit, Leslie had responded to a LinkedIn job posting for a tree-cutting business and was allowed to begin working that day. One of the workers told deputies that things began getting strange on the way to the job site, when Leslie allegedly made comments accusing him of not being homosexual.
Once the crew arrived, Leslie allegedly continued making similar comments and became increasingly irritated. The worker told deputies Leslie eventually balled up his fist and swung at him, but missed when the man backed away.
Another worker stepped between the two, but the confrontation allegedly turned physical. A witness told deputies the men were separated before Leslie walked toward the homeowner’s residence and then returned toward one of the workers with a knife.
According to the affidavit, Leslie allegedly yelled, “I’m going to kill someone” before running toward the worker while armed with the knife. The worker told deputies he feared being stabbed and defended himself by fighting with Leslie until another person separated them.
A homeowner also told deputies she saw Leslie holding a pocketknife and heard him yell, “I’m going to kill you,” before another fight broke out.
Leslie, however, told deputies a different version of events. He claimed the workers had been calling him homosexual and said he was attacked by them. The deputy noted Leslie had a hematoma above his eyebrow and swelling to his cheek consistent with having been involved in a physical altercation.
After leaving the job site, Leslie reportedly walked to another nearby home and asked a woman he did not know if he could charge his cellphone. She refused and told him she would contact law enforcement, according to the report.
Leslie allegedly plugged his charger into an exterior electrical outlet anyway, sat on the woman’s porch and continued charging his phone without permission. That allegation resulted in the theft of utility services charge.
Deputies later detained Leslie. After being read his Miranda rights, Leslie denied threatening anyone with a knife and again maintained that he had been the victim of the confrontation.
He was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail.
