Gainesville Man Released on Recognizance After Domestic Battery by Strangulation Arrest

Update | May 22, 2026: Updated the article to include up to date information.

On October 16, 2024, Gainesville Police Department officers arrested Christopher Robert Smith, 31, and charged him with domestic battery by strangulation, a felony carrying a maximum five year prison sentence.

The victim reported that Smith punched and slapped her for three hours and choked her till she lost consciousness.

Officer Dantrell Osbourne reported that the victim's nose was bloody and looked fractured. The victim said she would go to the hospital the next morning.

After his arrest, Smith said he “wanted a lawyer before making any statements about the incident.”

The State Attorney’s Office filed a pretrial detention motion against Smith.

Judge William Davis denied the motion and released Smith on recognizance under the conditions that he not contact the victim, take a substance abuse and mental health evaluation, follow any recommendations or treatment, not possess any weapons, and not consume alcohol or drugs without a prescription. 

On November 12, 2024, Smith was arrested again while on pretrial release for domestic violence against the same victim. Smith was apprehended by a K-9.

Smith would later be convicted of his misdemeanor charges but avoided a felony conviction in a plea deal. He was sentenced to 270 days in jail with 182 days of time served credit, followed by five years of probation that he is currently serving.