Man on probation arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot nurses at Shands

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.

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. 

  • Thank a scummy SPLC-member lawyer this repeat offender was free and having offspring.

      • Gotta be a family member here I wouldn’t want this man to sign a birth certificate he donated sperm that’s enough he don’t need to be around any bodies kids with this kind behavior so let’s not free him to hurt anyone else or steal and rob us

  • Good grief, security should have never let him get to his car. Detain under suspicion. Check his records then hold him in a locked guarded room. Have to be more proactive! He could have easily come back in and killed many if he had anything in the car!

    • It would be nice… but Shands security is not sworn LEO. They will not go hands on, much less detain anyone. Heck, they let Baker Act committed people walk out right past them out the door then call the cops later. Think of them as mall security.

      • Sorry to inform you but we make much more than Mall Security and as far as a Baker Act patient in my 9 years here I have never seen a Baker Act walk right pass us without being STOPPED. Plz get your facts straight b 4 commenting.

  • Why was he on the street after violating probation, twice for the same crime?

  • Individuals like this that make these type of threats should have to walk around with an ankle monitor on for the next 10 years and share the same type of lifelong consequences as sexual predators so we can keep track of him at all times.

    • Sure he will….meanwhile….guess who gets to pay his child support and medical bills? That’s right….we do!

  • Threaten to shoot up an empty school and get a $2 million bail. Shoot up a hospital and get $100K

  • “….she became alarmed at his behavior and took out her phone to take a video in case something happened….”

    Aside from the obvious threats is this peculiar response to obvious threats.

  • I finally realized what these hair-dos remind me of. Remember the old firework “snakes” that you light and they just grow into these long crazy snake-like configurations? That’s exactly it! Phew that one has been bugging me for a while now! ha

  • And yet again, what I’m really thinking would never be posted so once again, suffice it to say, neither the criminal or the crime is a surprise.

  • Wow,a bs 100,000k Bond must make the entire facility and staff feel so valued, important,and safe. Another woke judge making Gainesville less safe.

    • It’s sad to see y’all keep using the word ‘woke’ and don’t even know what it means…smfh.

  • She probably said he wasn’t the father, and he went off .. no telling what really happened, 3 sides to the story.

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