Gainesville City Hall vandal receives 9-month prison sentence

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A Gainesville man who committed multiple acts of vandalism at Gainesville City Hall and the Old Library Building, along with leaving behind two racist and threatening notes, was sentenced Tuesday to nine months in prison.

James Alexander Dewar, 42, who was arrested on Aug. 23, 2024,  entered a plea of nolo contendere to threatening a public servant and three counts of property damage in excess of $1,000, according to a city of Gainesville press release.

Judge David Kreider found Dewar guilty and sentenced him to 270 days in jail, with a credit of 235 days served, followed by three years of probation. Dewar is required to compensate the city for $15,169 in damages and he is banned from the Old Library Building and City Hall.

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James Alexander Dewar
Alachua County Jail James Alexander Dewar

The charges stem from multiple incidents that occurred in March starting with the front glass doors of the Old Library Building being smashed by a piece of slate tile found inside the building on March 4. According to the report, a folded note was found in the lobby area that said, “Keep giving all our jobs to the blacks and hispanics. Retribution is coming. Trump 2024. DEI.” A circular “stop” symbol was drawn around “DEI.”

Another incident occurred between March 13 and March 18 when cleaning staff found a broken window on March 18 on the south side of the second floor at City Hall. A chunk of brick appeared to have been thrown through the window.

The third incident happened on March 27 when city staff found Ward’s office window had been broken by multiple large rocks overnight. A note was found that said, “Mr Ward, You insult our intelligence, and we have had enough. You continue to talk up DEI, all the while we’ve had 2 white young people killed by blacks in the last month. We want the DEI program fully shut down. You won’t listen to our words, so we now speak in the language of our January 6th brothers and sisters. RIP [first victim’s name]. RIP [second victim’s name]. DEI (encircled by don’t sign). And no I am not racist, I’m simply tired of us whites having to take it on the chin. Those days are over and anyways, people like me do not care about being called racist! (you called me that a meeting.) Don’t make me turn this place into the Alfred P Murrah building.” The victims’ names are redacted to protect their families.

Dewar’s note included a reference to the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma which was the target of a bombing on April 19, 1995, by Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more.   

Surveillance video from both the Old Library Building and the vandalism done to Ward’s office helped law enforcement get a description of Dewar and his vehicle and an arrest warrant was issued from the Eighth Judicial Circuit for the suspect on May 1.

According to the city of Gainesville press release, the events raised safety concerns for municipal employees and visitors. Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya increased police presence at City Hall and additional security measures were implemented at the complex that had been in the planning stages before the vandalism.

Ward reissued the following statement: “My fellow commissioners and I will continue to do what the people elected us to do. A broken window and an ugly note will not shake our resolve. We will stay on course and do the work.”

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BillS

Well Mr. Dewar here’s the good news and the best news…you are making many new black and latino friends at the Sheriff’s luxury hotel AND D.E.I. is fading away across America. It was all because people like you took the initiative to get involved (sic)….this man has some serious issues and I hope the probation officer keeps him on a really short leash.