Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Nineteen-year-old Jalyn Javon Scott was taken into custody yesterday for allegedly threatening to shoot a woman and subsequently striking her while she held a one-year-old child.

At around 5:45 p.m. on August 5, a Gainesville Police Department officer arrived at a scene responding to a call about an armed altercation. The officer reported that Scott engaged in a verbal dispute with a family member (referred to as the victim) and then allegedly brandished a handgun from a bag, threatening to shoot and hit her. The victim, fearing for her safety, picked up a one-year-old child believing Scott would refrain from hitting her while she held the child. However, Scott allegedly hit her multiple times, resulting in her dropping the child. Furthermore, Scott allegedly choked the victim, leaving her with injuries treated by emergency medical services. Fortunately, the infant appeared unharmed.

Scott was no longer at the scene when officers arrived, but he reportedly agreed to meet officers about two hours later.

The arresting officer reported that Scott had injuries consistent with being in a physical fight.

Following Miranda rights, Scott reportedly denied possessing a firearm and claimed the victim initiated the confrontation by spitting at and hitting him in the face. He denied strangling the victim and stated he only restrained her hands, denying any physical assault. Initially, he denied that the victim ended up on the ground but later reportedly acknowledged that the victim sat on the ground during the incident. He maintained that the infant was positioned behind the victim and that any fall was inadvertently caused by the victim during their altercation.

A witness reportedly corroborated that the victim struck and spat on Scott, leading to a physical confrontation. The witness claimed that Scott pinned the victim’s arms down and placed her on the ground, with the child positioned behind her, resulting in the child falling to the ground.

Scott, the victim, and the witness all reportedly confirmed that the infant had fallen to the floor.

Scott faces charges including domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, child abuse without severe injury, and domestic battery. He has juvenile convictions from 2020 to 2023, but no adult convictions. Earlier, in March, he was arrested for drug possession and firearm possession by an adjudicated delinquent, released on a $45,000 bail under the condition of not possessing firearms; formal charges were filed in May.

Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $135,000 on the new charges.

Articles concerning arrests are derived from reports provided by law enforcement agencies. The charges mentioned stem from arrest reports and/or court records and constitute allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.