‘Stand Your Ground’ lawsuit filed against Alachua County Sheriff by man accused of threatening fiber installers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - A man arrested for displaying a firearm on his property during a confrontation with fiber internet installers filed a lawsuit against Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott after the charges were dropped.

In the newly filed lawsuit, Drew Worthmann argues his rights under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law were violated when an Alachua County Sheriff’s deputy arrested him in September 2025.

In the arresting deputy’s report, he alleges Worthmann threatened two workers who were hired by the Town of Tioga and were doing construction for IQ Fiber.

The report claims Worthmann exited his home carrying a handgun and “aggressively” yelled at the workers to get off his property.

The deputy arrested Worthmann on two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, and he was booked into the Alachua County Jail. The charges were later downgraded to improper display of a firearm and later dropped by the State Attorney’s Office.

Attorney Anthony Sabatini, a member of the Lake County Commission and a former Republican state representative, argues in the lawsuit that Worthmann had lawfully ordered the workers off the property. He claims Florida law allows a homeowner to brandish a firearm when dealing with trespassers.

He also asserts that video evidence from a nearby Ring camera contradicts the deputy’s report.

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The lawsuit requests compensatory and punitive damages from the sheriff’s office due to the alleged unlawful arrest and incarceration.

The case isn’t the first Sabatini has filed in defense of gun rights. He also filed suit against Bradford County Fair Association over a policy banning the open carry of firearms at the fair.

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