Marathon man accused of threatening to kill deputy, attacking sergeant

Deputies raced to a Fourth Avenue home in Marathon just before 9:45 p.m. Friday after the FBI alerted the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to a threat that had already moved from a phone call to a law-enforcement response.

Investigators say David Patrick Williams, 54, had called the FBI and said he was going to shoot a Monroe County deputy. By the time deputies reached his home in the Middle Keys, the confrontation had already escalated into a high-risk arrest in close quarters, with officers dealing with a suspect accused of making a death threat against one of their own.

According to the report, Williams told deputies he was not going to open the door. He then opened it, tensed his body and pulled away from officers, a sequence that put deputies within arm’s reach before the encounter turned physical. Investigators said Williams then grabbed one of the agency’s sergeants by the throat. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Adam Linhardt said no one was seriously hurt.

Williams later admitted making the threatening call, according to the report. He was booked on charges including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and making threats to kill a law enforcement officer. Under Florida Statute 836.12, knowingly and willfully threatening a law enforcement officer with death or serious bodily harm is a first-degree misdemeanor, separate from the battery charge that followed the struggle at the door.

The case underscores how quickly a threat to a deputy can force multiple agencies into motion in Monroe County. Federal agents received the call first, relayed the information to local deputies, and the sheriff’s office then had to manage both the arrest and the immediate risk to officers on scene. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says it is a state and nationally accredited law enforcement agency, and its Marathon substation serves the Middle Keys.

Williams was scheduled to be arraigned May 27, 2026, keeping the case in its early stages as prosecutors and defense counsel move toward the next court hearing.