Pickens Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault in Hotel Altercation

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Clay County jury found William Pickens guilty of Aggravated Assault. With the verdict, Pickens faces up to five years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Steven Whittington will sentence Pickens at a later date.

On July 22, 2024, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Blanding Boulevard hotel about a man who pointed a firearm at the victim. Officers found Pickens in the parking lot with employees. The victim told officers that she threw away a box and, while talking to other residents next to the dumpster, Pickens walked up and pointed a gun at her and continued to do so until she got into her car and drove away. She drove to the front of the business and waited for the police. Officers recovered a firearm, knife, and baton on Pickens. A witness also saw Pickens point his gun at the victim.

The case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys David Gilbert and Jamie Cona.