Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marquise Rashad Williams, 29, of Margaretta, FL, was arrested yesterday and charged with aggravated battery, robbery, and property damage in connection with a June incident in a downtown Gainesville bar.

At about 1 a.m. on June 2, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to White Buffalo (111 S. Main Street), where the victim said a man had walked up behind her and grabbed her phone from her hand, then hit her with both his fist and her phone.

An employee of the bar told the officer he saw her fall and saw the man hit her at least two more times while she was on the ground.

The victim reportedly lost consciousness during the incident and suffered a concussion and damage to two vertebrae, along with other injuries. Her cell phone was recovered but was damaged, with the loss estimated at $600.

The suspect was later identified as Williams, and the employee reportedly identified him in a photo line-up. A warrant for Williams’ arrest was issued on June 7, with an address in Lake Butler; his arrest report lists an address in Baker County.

Williams reportedly refused to provide any residence or employment information to interviewers. He has two felony convictions (one violent) and eight misdemeanor convictions (two violent); he has served two state prison sentences, one out of Union County and one out of Columbia County, with his most recent release in 2020. He has a pending misdemeanor case in Clay County. Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial.

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.