Deputies: Man arrested for threatening ex-employer in Charlotte County

A man was arrested after deputies say he threatened his ex-employer with a 28-inch pipe.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said Shane Gillis had been threatening his ex-employer with multiple phone calls, and deputies were called to the scene and overheard Gillis on the phone say he “had something” for the victim and was on his way.

He arrived and was seen by deputies walking toward the victim with his left hand behind his back. In his right hand, he had a can of Twisted Tea, which deputies say is considered a deadly weapon “on the streets.”

Deputies told him to raise his hands. He did and then warned deputies that he had a pipe tucked into the back of his jeans.

As he was arrested, he continued to threaten his ex-employer, deputies say. The sheriff’s office did not identify the employer, but Gillis was arrested at the Peachland Promenade in Port Charlotte.

Gillis faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill. He is being held in the Charlotte County Jail on $2,500 bond.