SRSO: Man charged with aggravated assault in Pace

Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office reports a Cantonment man was arrested in Pace for aggravated assault with a weapon on Saturday for pointing a gun at someone. Reports say Leonard Bradshaw Southerland, 54, was charged for pointing a gun at Savacoll Bronson, and when deputies arrived, was found being held by the wrist by Bronson. Southerland was found with a Ruger 380 in his right pants pocket when he was patted down by deputies, reports said.

Southerland told deputies he was escorting Lisa George to an ex-boyfriend’s home to retrieve her things and she was afraid to go alone. Southerland said he called the SRSO and asked for advice and was told, said reports, to get someone to go with George as a third party to be a witness. Southerland told deputies he went with George, who is a co-worker of his wife’s, to go to retrieve her things. Southerland said to deputies he was on the front porch when George went inside, Bronson came out pushing him into a corner. Southerland said he started to pull his pistol but did not. Reports said Southerland told deputies Bronson held his wrist until the Sheriff’s Office arrived.

However, George’s witness statement on the arrest report said Bronson started arguing, pushing and threatening Leonard. She told deputies Leonard told him to stop and put his hands down. She said Leonard told her to call 911. She said Bronson pushed Leonard out to the edge of the street, holding his wrists, yelling and pointed a gun to his head, although she never saw a gun because she was at a neighbor’s house calling authorities. Reports say other witnesses said Leonard had a gun in his pocket but none stated they ever saw the firearm.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: SRSO: Man charged with aggravated assault in Pace