Florida Doctor Arrested for Allegedly Shooting at Teens Who Threw Cheese at His Range Rover, Claims They Fired First

Dr. Bruce Mitchell, a 67-year-old former doctor at the Mayo Clinic, was arrested Saturday evening in Ponte Vedra Beach after allegedly firing a gun at a group of teenagers who had thrown cheese at his Range Rover.

The incident began as a lighthearted prank by five high school students from a Jacksonville private school, who admitted to tossing cheese from their car at a stoplight. However, the situation escalated dramatically when Mitchell's black Range Rover pursued them aggressively after the light turned green, according to police reports.

As the teens attempted to evade the vehicle, swerving between lanes, Mitchell reportedly displayed a firearm from his window and fired a shot into the air. The teenage driver, fearing for his life, accelerated away while one passenger expressed that he was “in fear for his and his friends’ lives” as they called 911.

After the police passed by, Mitchell ceased his pursuit and drove off in another direction. Officers later stopped him, where he exited his vehicle without instruction. According to an incident report, officers drew their weapons and commanded him to surrender before he complied.

A Sig Sauer pistol was discovered in Mitchell's glovebox, accompanied by a loaded magazine on the passenger seat and a spent cartridge found in the footwell of the vehicle. Following his arrest, Mitchell claimed, “they shot at me first,” but then declined to provide further statements to law enforcement.

No weapons were located in the teenagers' vehicle. Mitchell now faces charges of discharging a weapon from a vehicle and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He has since been released on bond.

Before this incident, Mitchell held the position of director of Hospital Medicine at Emory University and worked at the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic for 14 years, as noted on his LinkedIn profile.