Animal Abuser Who Was Armed With Machete Eligible For Bond
Correction/Edits | Feb 21, 2026: The name of one of the involved officers was inaccurate as the probable cause was transferred. More information from the arrest report were added.
Update | Feb 21, 2026: Chaun Johnson was convicted of the felony charge on a no contest plea deal and sentenced to two years of probation.
Court records show Johnson posted bond in October 2024.
On August 7, 2024, Chaun James Johnson, 33, was arrested and charged with excessive aggravated animal cruelty.
An Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Deputy was on routine patrol around 3:00 a.m. and saw Johnson abusing his dog in the parking lot of the Baymont Inn hotel.
Based on the arrest report, Johnson grabbed the dog by his collar and threw him about 15 feet before arming himself with a machete and attempting to hit the dog with its handle. The dog avoided the initial swing but Johnson grabbed the dog by their feet and threw the dog into the backseat of his car and hit the animal with the machete’s handle to the point where the dog was yelping several times.
A short time later, the deputy saw Johnson reach back into the car, heard more yelping and saw Johnson throw the dog more. When the deputy entered the parking lot, Johnson spontaneously said he was “disciplining his dog.” Johnson had to be told multiple times to put down the machete. When the deputy was walking Johnson to the patrol car, he spontaneously said he was “disciplining his dog with the handle.”
The dog sustained injuries on their neck and underneath their jaw.
The Baymont Inn's manager told Deputy Perez he had seen Johnson abuse his dog before and told him to stop.
When Deputy Perez was standing near Johnson, he spontaneously stated he had been “taking out all his aggression on the dog lately.”
Johnson is currently homeless and doesn’t have a registered address.
Judge Susan Miller-Jones granted Johnson eligibility for a $15,000 bond. If he posts the bond and is released he’ll be required to not possess any animals or firearms.
