Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Shavante Dantrell Rollins, 32, was arrested yesterday and charged with seven felonies and two misdemeanors after allegedly fleeing from an officer who was trying to apprehend him following a domestic battery incident.
At about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to the emergency room at UF Health Shands, where the victim reportedly said Rollins had hit her in the eye with a trash can. She said Rollins had moved his belongings into her apartment while helping her move in December 2023, and she was “confused and unsure what to do” when that happened. She said Rollins became more controlling and started driving her to work and using her vehicle while she was at work; he also allegedly took her phone. She said she was not allowed to leave the house without Rollins and was afraid that he would harm her if she did.
The victim said Rollins had thrown the trash can at her around midnight on Sunday night.
Officers tracked the victim’s vehicle and located Rollins near NE 2nd Way and NE 39th Place. When an officer initiated a traffic stop, Rollins allegedly reversed at a high rate of speed and crashed into a parked vehicle, causing about $500 in damage to the victim’s vehicle. Rollins then allegedly fled on foot through multiple backyards while dropping a large amount of narcotics that had been packaged for sale.