Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In an alarming incident early this morning, 39-year-old Charlie James Shivers III was taken into custody after he allegedly assaulted a former girlfriend by pulling her from her vehicle and choking her. The woman was reportedly rescued by a passerby who was returning home from work.

Around 11 p.m., an officer from the Gainesville Police Department arrived at the 1500 block of SE 3rd Avenue, where the victim recounted her ordeal. She explained that although she and Shivers had previously dated, they were no longer in a relationship. While driving home, Shivers allegedly cut her off, prompting her to make a U-turn in an attempt to evade him. Despite her efforts, Shivers pursued her, and when they stopped at a red light, he reportedly approached her car, opened the door, and struck her in the face. He then allegedly dragged her out and began choking her, leading the victim to fear for her life.

During the altercation, a man passing by recognized the victim and quickly intervened. He reportedly pulled Shivers away from her, at which point Shivers re-entered his vehicle and fled the scene.

The responding officer noted that the victim sustained scratches on her arm and had visible bruising around her neck.

The Good Samaritan who intervened reportedly provided the officer with a receipt confirming he had just clocked out of work moments before the incident. The officer noted that the location of the incident was situated between the man’s place of employment and his residence.

While the first officer was investigating the incident, other officers reportedly found Shivers at a family member’s house, where he allegedly barricaded himself inside the home but eventually came out without incident.

Shivers reportedly told an officer that he had come to Gainesville for a family member’s birthday party, and he was heading home to Palatka when the victim texted him and called him, inviting him to her home. He said that when he drove near her home, she started following him, and then she and a man got out of their vehicle and jumped him. Shivers reportedly could not say where this happened but said it was somewhere near Dee’s Liquor.

Post Miranda, Shivers reportedly repeated his story that the victim had called him to invite him to her house; the officer reported that Shivers gave consent for officers to look through his phone, but they found no evidence that the victim had contacted him. The officer reported that Shivers was unable to provide a consistent timeline of events leading to the altercation.

Shivers is also facing a sworn complaint for stalking the same victim for allegedly calling her phone continuously over the course of several days in January. The officer who investigated that incident reported that he answered one of the phone calls and told the caller that the victim no longer wanted contact with him, and the caller agreed and said he would stop calling, but the phone starting ringing about a minute later with more calls.

Shivers has been charged with burglary of an occupied vehicle, domestic battery by strangulation, and domestic battery. His criminal history is currently unavailable; Judge James Colaw ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.