Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – This morning, 50-year-old Ashley Galen Powers was taken into custody after he allegedly prevented a woman from leaving a hotel room while police officers attempted to open the door from outside.
Late on October 8, around 11:30 p.m., officers from the Gainesville Police Department responded to a call concerning a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, they found the hotel room door locked from the inside. They communicated with both Powers and the victim through the closed door.
The victim reportedly expressed her desire to exit the room, but Powers allegedly warned her against opening the door. While attempting to gain entry, officers reported that Powers repeatedly shut and re-locked the door. Concern arose when officers heard a “smacking noise” coming from inside; nonetheless, they continued to give Powers opportunities to open the door voluntarily, despite his insistence that the victim was fine and that a warrant was necessary for entry.
Officers entered the room, and post Miranda, Powers reportedly declined to answer any questions without a lawyer.
Powers now faces charges of false imprisonment and resisting an officer without violence. Although he has not been previously convicted, he was arrested in August for domestic battery involving a different victim and subsequently released on a $5,000 bail. He faced similar charges in June, which were later dropped. For the current charges, Judge Jonathan Ramsey has set bail at $20,000.
Articles regarding arrests are based on information from law enforcement agencies. The charges mentioned are drawn from arrest reports and/or court documents, serving as accusations only. All individuals are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.
