BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A 54-year-old Starke man who told deputies he was looking for Christmas ornaments was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after witnesses said he started a gunfight in Starke’s Reno neighborhood.
Derek Dean was also arrested for discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
According to an arrest report, the victim told deputies that Dean used to live next door to the victim’s residence and drove up to the victim’s house, accusing the East Reba Street inhabitant of “stealing stuff from the property.”
According to the victim, Dean pulled a black pistol out of a holster and fired several rounds at his former neighbor. The victim then returned fire with a 410 single-shot bolt action shotgun.
Dean then drove away, getting off additional shots as he retreated.
When interviewed about the incident, Dean told deputies he was in the area looking for Christmas ornaments, and after he and his former neighbor began to argue, it was the alleged victim who fired the first shots.
A witness who saw the encounter from her yard told officers she heard yelling, saw Dean return to his SUV, and heard a gunshot.
“I looked up and seen the guy in the gray SUV shoot 2-3 more times,” said the witness, according to the arrest report. “I seen the guy that lives in the house run from the yard and shoot 2 shots while the guy in the silver truck was pulling off.”
