On October 28th, a Gainesville Police Department officer, Christopher Bivins, was arrested for allegedly breaking into his girlfriend’s home and strangling her after a night out.
Bivins, a 29-year-old resident of Gainesville, faces charges including unarmed burglary, battery by strangulation, grand theft, and criminal mischief, as stated in an arrest report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began when Bivins’ girlfriend and her friends went to Simons, a nightclub, on October 27th. She received a text from Bivins, who claimed he was at the club and had arranged a private area for them.
They left the club around 1:45 a.m. and had an argument on the way to their cars, after which they went their separate ways.
While driving home, Bivins’ girlfriend received multiple calls informing her that he was attempting to enter the property through the front gate of her apartment complex. Upon arriving, she saw Bivins’ black truck parked across the street at a Tires Plus.
Upon entering her apartment, she discovered that the door had been kicked in, the place was in disarray, and Bivins was in the living room.
When she confronted him, he grabbed her by the neck and forced her to the floor. She was unable to scream, feeling his weight on her, until he finally released his grip and moved towards the kitchen counter.
She managed to retrieve her car key and fled to her mother’s home in Trenton, Florida. Upon returning to her own place around 10:15 a.m., she found many of her belongings thrown over the balcony, and various Apple items were missing.
Sheriff’s deputies located Bivins near Metro Diner and Crunch Fitness on 2400 SW 24th St. During questioning, Bivins admitted to being heavily intoxicated and recalled parking at the Tires Plus, but claimed no memory of entering his girlfriend’s apartment.
Bivins is currently held at the Alachua County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to court records. The Gainesville Police Department declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
