Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tavarus Tyrell Smith, 26, was arrested Friday night and charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, two counts of threatening to shoot nurses, and preventing communication to law enforcement after allegedly hitting his pregnant girlfriend, snatching her phone, and threatening to shoot nurses at UF Health Shands.

A University of Florida Police Department officer responded to Shands at about 10:20 p.m. Friday night after a call about a possible domestic battery. A security guard told the officer that Smith had been escorted out because he hit his pregnant girlfriend and was causing a scene.

Smith’s girlfriend said they were at the hospital to deliver her baby when Smith became agitated and they started arguing; she said she became alarmed at his behavior and took out her phone to take a video in case something happened, then he hit her in the chest. She said she tried to call 911, but Smith took her phone and threw it on the ground. She said Smith said he already shot a cop and would do it again if they came to get him.

Two nurses heard the argument and entered the room; they told the officer they saw Smith holding a pillow and threatening to kill himself; they said he threw the pillow on the ground and said he was going to do a “mass shooting in this place,” then sat down and refused to leave. Security guards escorted him from the building and trespassed him from Shands.

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The victim told the officer that Smith is known to have firearms, but she didn’t know whether he had one in his vehicle.

Officers later pulled Smith’s car over and arrested him. Post Miranda, he reportedly said he was at the hospital and had an argument with his girlfriend and left. He became upset when he was told he would be charged with battery and reportedly said, “but there was no bruising.”

Smith has three felony convictions (one violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (none violent). He is on probation after pleading to assault with intent to commit a felony in a 2017 case. He has twice been convicted of violating that probation.

Smith’s bail is set at $100,000.

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.