Man arrested in reported domestic assault and theft incident on Dec. 29 in Gainesville

Donnivan D. Davis, 26, of Tecumseh, was arrested Jan. 3 and is being held without bond in the Ozark County Jail in a case in which he’s charged with kidnapping, domestic assault, stealing a firearm and harassment. A bond review hearing was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Jan. 9 before Associate Judge Raymond Gross. Results of the hearing were not available at presstime.

According to the probable cause statement in the case, prepared by Ozark County Deputy Gannan Moss, at 12:27 p.m. Dec. 29, 2023, the Ozark County Sheriff’s Dispatch office received a report from a man who said a woman had come to his house and said she had been beat up by her boyfriend. 

Moss and Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Sherman responded and met with the woman at her home. She reportedly followed the officers back to the sheriff’s office as she didn’t feel comfortable staying at her residence due to the altercation that had transpired, she said. 

“[We] had the victim tell us what happened. She told us she had just broken up with her boyfriend because she suspected him of purchasing methamphetamine earlier that day,” the report says. “When she arrived back at her house, she told us the suspect grabbed her by the hair and ripped her out of her vehicle. He dragged her on the ground by her hair and then slammed her head into the rear driver’s side of her car. She told us then he kicked her in the shoulder while she was on the ground, and as she tried to get back up, he had bitten her multiple times.”

The woman then said Davis went into the house and she followed him because he told her “‘if you leave, I’ll kill your animals.’” She said at that point she was crying and scared but wanted the situation to end quickly if possible. 

“Once inside, he continued to scream at her and throw things including, but not limited to, TV dinner stands, furniture etc... He held her down on the couch, and he grabbed her by the head and slammed her head into the wall and back of the couch,” Moss continued. 

The woman then told Davis he needed to leave, but he said he wouldn’t leave. He then went into the bedroom and fell asleep, the report says. 

When he woke up, he began yelling at her again, then slapped her in the head and grabbed her by the hair again and slammed her face into the floor. He held her down and threatened her, telling her he “would show her what he could do.”

She said Davis also grabbed her phone and attempted to break it in order to keep her from contacting law enforcement. The cell phone screen broke in the process.

The report says that she estimated the encounter lasted from 7 a.m. to noon that day. 

The woman had a .22 caliber rifle at her residence, and when she arrived back at her house, the gun was missing. She said that he had to have taken it without her consent.