Brooksville man charged with threatening ex with rifle

BROOKSVILLE – Hernando County sheriff’s deputies went to Carefree Drive in Brooksville Sunday in response to a 911 call regarding a man threatening to blow a woman’s head off with a rifle.

Deputies arrived and spoke with the victim, who said she is in the process of moving out and splitting up with Johnnie William Tyson Jr., 53, which is why he was angry at her.

“The victim was obviously in fear, as I noted that her hands were still shaking while I interviewed her,” a deputy wrote in an arrest report.

The woman described the firearm Tyson allegedly pointed at and threatened her with as a .22 caliber Marlin rifle with a mostly brown stock, according to the report.

Tyson was within 10 feet of the rifle when deputies detained him, the report shows, and the magazine was found in Tyson’s pocket loaded with several .22 caliber rounds.

Tyson was detained from a front gate on the property, which is where the victim said the incident occurred, according to the report.

Tyson declined to make a statement, and was taken to Hernando County Jail on charges of domestic aggravated assault with a firearm, and is being held without bond.