Interlachen man arrested for forcing his way onto bus

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jeffrey James Smith, 60, of Interlachen, was arrested yesterday after allegedly forcing his way onto a bus, yelling at the driver, and refusing to get off.

At about 3:30 p.m. on March 12, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a bus owned by “The Ride Solution” at Walmart (5700 NW 23rd St.).

The bus driver reportedly said that Smith forcefully opened the closed bus doors with his hands and forced his way onto the bus after being told he did not have permission to be on the bus. After he was told to get off the bus, he allegedly started yelling and screaming at the driver and said multiple times that he was going to “beat her [expletive].”

The bus driver called 911 and stayed on the line until an officer arrived, and other passengers got off the bus because they were afraid of Smith.

The officer reported that when he arrived, Smith was still screaming at the bus driver and refused to get off the bus. The officer told him to get off the bus, but he allegedly refused; the officer told him that if he continued to refuse, he would be arrested, but Smith allegedly stayed on the bus, and the officer reported that he had to physically place Smith in handcuffs and pull him off the bus. Smith allegedly continued screaming at the bus driver and the passengers while he was being arrested and searched.

A witness reportedly corroborated the driver’s story.

Smith has been charged with disorderly conduct, making a threat of bodily harm, trespassing after a warning, and resisting an officer without violence. He has one felony conviction (non-violent) and 12 misdemeanor convictions (four violent) and has an unspecified criminal history in other states from 1989 to 2025. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $11,000 and ordered a mental health evaluation.

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.