Threats against St Augustine Mayor land demonstrator in county jail

A 41-year-old St Augustine man was released from custody at the St Johns County Detention Facility on Friday afternoon after posting a $1,500.00 appearance bond; arrested and charged after making threats towards St Augustine Mayor Nancy Shaver.

The arrest of Cyrus Joseph Bowie, who resides at 525 N Nassau Street in St Augustine, occurred Thursday afternoon when he caused a disruption during a public symposium at St. Johns River State College. Bowie was charged with two-counts of third-degree felony battery ($1000) and an additional count of disorderly conduct, a second-degree misdemeanor ($500).

Deputies arrived to find Bowie pinned to the ground by the college’s security personnel. According to witnesses, Bowie repeatedly shouted to Mayor Shaver saying, “Kill yourself” and “Why don’t you kill yourself?” A note was found from a speech Bowie planned to give at the event which said, in its opening, “Why haven’t you killed yourself?”

SJSO Arrest Report

Bowie was told to leave multiple times by security guards and when they attempted to escort him, Bowie began to actively resist by pulling and pushing away, deputies said. The arrest report said he “tensed his body and had to be dragged out of the classroom to prevent further disruption.”