MITCHELL – An Oolitic man is facing a Level 6 Felony charge of domestic battery in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, following a series of alleged domestic disputes between January and February of this year.
Gerald Franklin Davis, 32, is the subject of an affidavit for probable cause filed by Sergeant Jacob Kuhlman of the Mitchell Police Department.
The investigation began on April 23, 2025, when the Mitchell Police Department became aware of a social media post by a female on Facebook. The post included photographs of injuries the victim’s sister allegedly sustained at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Gerald Davis, while the victim’s child was present. The post also featured a video showing Davis with his arms around the woman’s upper torso as he moved towards a kitchen door. As they approached the door, the woman fell to the ground, and a brief struggle ensued before the video ended. Throughout the video, the child could be heard crying loudly as they followed the pair.
On April 24, Sergeant Kuhlman spoke with the female victim, who confirmed that the incident captured in the video occurred on February 7, 2025, at approximately 10:50 a.m. The woman described a pattern of similar incidents over the past few months:
- January 8: An argument reportedly led to Davis physically removing the woman from their bedroom by her arm and then using his body weight to prevent her re-entry.
- February 6: Davis allegedly dragged the victim across the room during an argument, leaving a mark on her knee. The child was reportedly present during this altercation.
- February 7: Davis allegedly pulled bedding from their bed, causing the female and the child to be tossed to the ground. He then reportedly grabbed the woman by her arms, carried her to the back door, “dropped me, opened the door, kicked me as I was attempting to shut the door with my legs as he was elbowing and kicking me.” This is the incident captured in the social media video.
- February 8: A final altercation reportedly occurred when Davis grabbed the female victim by the wrist, pulling her out of the bedroom and causing bruising. This incident allegedly occurred in front of the child.
The woman provided law enforcement with photographs of her injuries from each incident.
In a related development, Officer Jacob McMillen of the Mitchell Police Department spoke with a female neighbor. She provided a statement describing an altercation she observed between Davis and the female victim on Wednesday, April 16, around 5:30 p.m. She stated she saw the couple shouting and witnessed Davis grab the female victim by her hair while yelling about evicting her from the property. The neighbor reported hearing a lot of “screaming, swearing, name-calling”.
When Sergeant Kuhlman contacted Gerald Davis on April 25 to obtain his version of the events, Davis stated that he “already has a lawyer” who advised him not to speak without legal counsel present. On April 29, Davis again declined to provide a statement, directing officers to contact his lawyers.
Sergeant Kuhlman forwarded the information and evidence to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Davis was detained on Friday, May 30.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the Probable Cause Affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
