Report by Staff

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 35-year-old man, Charles Ivan Griffith II, was taken into custody last night on charges of aggravated battery. This follows an incident where he allegedly slashed his roommate’s throat, resulting in a 6-inch laceration.

Officers from the Gainesville Police Department responded to a call around 9:20 p.m. on December 27, arriving at an apartment in the Phoenix neighborhood. They discovered Griffith outside, standing over the victim, with both individuals reportedly covered in blood. Griffith appeared to have swelling on one side of his face, while his roommate suffered a significant neck wound and had blood in his mouth.

According to reports, after being read his rights, the victim recounted that he and Griffith had been drinking when Griffith suddenly became violent, attacking him with punches and attempting to choke him. The victim claimed he defended himself, and following Griffith’s admission of defeat, he tried to seek help from a neighbor. However, Griffith allegedly pursued him, stabbing him in the neck and then dragging him outside where he assaulted him with about 20 punches. The altercation was halted thanks to the intervention of neighbors.

Griffith, after being advised of his rights, allegedly told officers that their confrontation was indeed a serious fight and not mere roughhousing. He stated that during the altercation, the victim struck him several times, leading him to believe he had been stabbed in the eye, although medical personnel later confirmed he had no puncture wounds. Griffith recounted that after this perceived injury, both men left the apartment to find help, at which point he claimed to have “blacked out,” with only a vague recollection of possibly slashing his roommate’s throat.

A witness said Griffith chased the victim, pushed him to the ground, and punched and kicked him while yelling, “I’m going to kill you.” A second witness said Griffith was standing over the victim, punching and kicking him about 20 times.

The officer reported that the victim was transported to a local hospital and immediately taken into surgery. The cut to his neck was about six inches long, from the front of his neck to the left side. The victim also required stitches inside his mouth. Griffith was also transported to an emergency room for treatment.

Officers reported finding blood throughout the apartment. A blue multicolored switchblade was found inside the apartment and collected as evidence; a pocketknife with a blade about 4 inches long was found outside a neighbor’s apartment where Griffith and the victim had fought, and it was also collected as evidence. However, officers do not know whether either weapon was used to cut the victim.

Griffith has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He has two felony convictions (two violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (non-violent); he was sentenced to four years of probation for threatening two people with a pocketknife in 2020, and although his probation was scheduled to terminate in October 2025, the Department of Corrections still lists him as actively on probation. Judge Jonathan Ramsey 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.