Florida Man Threatens Ex-Employer With Steel Pipe And Twisted Tea Can, Arrested

A Florida man, who confronted his ex-boss and threatened him with a steel pipe and a Twisted Tea can, was arrested Sunday evening.

Shane Gillis, who flew into a rage after being fired from his job at Mr. Mobile RV Repair last week, made multiple threatening phone calls to his former boss, news outlet Complex reported.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene after being informed about the threatening calls that Gillis' former employer received.

Deputies then heard 47-year-old Gillis, over the phone, telling his ex-employer he "had something" for them. During a second call, Gillis told the victim he was going to "end you right now. I’m coming for you straight through the parking lot," Sun Post Charlotte reported, citing police.

When the officers were at the scene, Gillis turned up with a 28-inch steel pipe tucked into the back of his jeans and a Twisted Tea can in his right hand, officials said in a Facebook post.

He walked toward the victim with his left hand behind his back in an attempt to conceal the steel pipe while he held the twisted tea can, which is considered a deadly weapon on the streets, in his right hand.

When the officers asked Gillis to raise his hands in the air, he surrendered and was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, the Facebook post said.

He appeared undaunted even when he was being handcuffed and continued to threaten the victim, officials said.

"Did the Twisted Tea make him do it, or was Gillis going to do it with the Twisted Tea, CCSO may never know," the post read.

Gillis is reportedly being held in Charlotte County Jail on a $2,500 bond.

Earlier this month, a man named Berry Allen was nicknamed "TeaKO" for using a Twisted Tea can to smack a white man off his feet after he repeatedly called him racial slurs. The incident happened in a Circle K shop in Elyria, Ohio. A witness recorded the altercation and shared the clip on social media, where it went viral. The clip had also sparked a meme fest on Twitter over the use of the malt beverage can for beating someone down.