ST. GEORGE – After a St. George man was released from jail following a domestic violence incident Thursday, the man returned to the home later that evening with a loaded handgun.

When a domestic violence incident occurs and the alleged perpetrator is arrested, the alleged victim and the residence are protected in what is called a “no contact order” should the suspect bail out of jail.

Victims are protected by this no contact order until 1 p.m. on the first day of court following the arrest.

“The reason for this is to keep parties separated to allow the victim time to file for more permanent protective orders if they choose to,” the St. George Police Department said in a media statement issued Friday, “and to keep (the) situation calm and everyone safe.”

Any violation of a no contact order results in an automatic arrest if the police are notified.

Around 2:41 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to a violation of a no contact order in a situation the Police Department said demonstrates why these orders are put in place.

Earlier that day, 59-year-old Gregory Ray Davis had been arrested following a domestic violence dispute and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility on two class B misdemeanor counts of assault and threat of violence.

“He bailed out and was highly agitated by the situation that led to his arrest,” according to the department’s statement. “He went home, in violation of the jail release no contact order, and armed himself with a gun.”

The alleged victim in this case was able to get away and alert authorities, according to police. When officers arrived on scene, they knocked on the door and spoke with Davis about unlawfully being in the home.

“We advised Gregory that he was not to be at the home per the jail release agreement,” according to a probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest. “Gregory state(d) he had read and signed the agreement but stated he did not realize he could not be at the home.”

Davis became combative with officers when they tried to arrest him, according to the statement. After officers took Davis to the ground and handcuffed him, they located a loaded revolver in his right front pants pocket.

“Fortunately,” police said, “our officers were able to arrest him safely with minimal injury to themselves and no injury to the suspect. In this particular incident, our department felt the suspect’s behavior was concerning enough to notify the on-call judge, who ordered a $25,000 cash-only bail to ensure the protection of the family.”

As a result of the second incident, Davis was charged with two class A misdemeanors for assault against a police officer and violating a jail release no-contact order and a class B misdemeanor for interfering with an arresting officer.

“If you are a victim of domestic violence,” the Police Department said in the statement, “please know that there are measures in place to keep you safe. We are proud to have a wonderful Victim’s Service Division at our police department who are available to answer any questions you may have.”

On the department’s Victim’s Services Web page, St George Police invites communication as follows:

If you are a victim of a crime in the city of St. George or have any questions regarding the Victim Services unit, you can reach them Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. at (435) 627-4399. If you are calling outside of regular business hours, please leave your name and number and someone will return your call during the next business day.

If you are in need of immediate assistance, call 911.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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