BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
STARKE— Shane Michael Stidham, 51, of Ft. White was arrested by Starke police on July 8 for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of battery, disturbing the peace and an out-of-county warrant.
According to an arrest report, Officer Taylor C. Sanders responded to a report of a disturbance at VyStar Credit Union on South Walnut Street around 11:19 a.m.
There, the first of six victims told him the defendant cut him off in the parking lot in a silver Toyota Camry and aggressively approached his vehicle. The victim said he exited his truck and the two men argued, with Stidham eventually spitting on the victim.
One of Victim 1’s friends was in the parking lot and approached the two men to break up the argument. Victim 2 stated that as he walked Victim 1 back to his truck, Stidham ran up to the pair and pushed Victim 2 from behind.
“(Victim 1) stated that when (Victim 2) turned around, Stidham placed a fixed blade knife to (Victim 2’s) throat,” wrote Sanders.
Victim 3, who was inside the credit union, said she heard the disturbance and came outside to see what was happening.
The woman reported that Stidham pushed her, and when she told him not to put his hands on her, the defendant responded with a racial slur.
“Contact was made with (Victim 4) who advised that when she stepped outside while the altercation was occurring, Stidham was thrusting the knife toward people and her in which she stated created a state of well-founded fear in her,” wrote Sanders.
Victim 5: an employee of the credit union told Sanders that she was inside when she heard the disturbance and went outside, where she saw Stidham threatening Victims 1 and 2 with a knife.
The employee added that when she attempted to break up the fight, Stidham retreated to his Toyota and spat on her and Victim 1 as he got into the Camry.
Victim 6: the credit union’s manager told Sanders she wanted the defendant arrested for breach of the peace.
Stidham left the scene before police arrived. However, they soon located him at the nearby Walmart.
Sanders wrote that the defendant’s knife was in plain view in the car at the time of his arrest.
