Duval County Jury Finds Attaway Guilty of Aggravated Assault

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Damien Attaway guilty of Aggravated Assault; Armed Trespass; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Criminal Mischief. With the verdict, Attaway faces up to 30 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Mark Borello will sentence Attaway at a later date.

On Aug. 29, 2022, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary in progress on Ken Knight Drive. When officers arrived, they saw Attaway running from the scene and into a nearby apartment complex. A perimeter was set up and K9 officers searched the area, but they did not find Attaway. However, they recovered several pieces of his clothing that he had discarded as he ran. The victim identified the intruder as Attaway; the two had previously dated. Attaway texted the victim that he stole her TV, and he was going to come back for more. Attaway texted her that he was on his way, so she left her house to get to safety. Attaway saw her and chased her into her home while he was holding a rifle-style firearm. The victim’s roommate tried to put his body against the door to keep Attaway out, but Attaway rammed against the door and was able to get into the home. He went to the victim’s bedroom where she was hiding and threatened her. The victim ran again and Attaway chased her, which was the same time officers arrived on scene. Surveillance footage of the attack from inside the home confirms the victim’s account. Attaway was arrested during a traffic stop at a later date on an arrest warrant.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Aaron Appiah Jr. and Lee Wingard.