YouTuber Jack Doherty is facing a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in Florida after police say an argument with his girlfriend escalated into a physical confrontation in which he allegedly pushed her to the ground and briefly pinned her with his hands around her neck.

The allegations provide a much more detailed picture of the Sept. 4 incident that initially resulted in reports that Doherty, 22, had simply been involved in a “physical dispute” with a woman at a Fort Lauderdale residence.

Doherty has pleaded not guilty.

Fort Lauderdale police responded shortly before noon to a residence in the 1400 block of Southwest Fifth Court in the city's Riverside Park neighborhood after receiving a report of a domestic disturbance. Doherty was arrested and booked into the Broward County Main Jail on one misdemeanor count of domestic battery.

Police initially said the woman was not injured, but a subsequently released report contains more serious allegations about what authorities say happened inside the home.

Police Detail Alleged Confrontation With Girlfriend

According to the Fort Lauderdale police report, Doherty and his girlfriend were arguing when he allegedly moved quickly toward her and got into her face.

The woman told investigators she became frightened and extended her arm to create distance between them. Police said that contact left two scratch marks on Doherty's face and collarbone.

Authorities said surveillance video confirmed that sequence of events.

The confrontation allegedly continued when the woman went upstairs to gather her belongings and leave.

According to police, the woman said Doherty became angry that she wanted to leave and pushed her onto the ground before using his hands around her neck to briefly pin her down.

The woman told investigators she remained able to breathe during the alleged encounter.

She then allegedly grabbed a firearm from a bedside table and held it at her side, warning Doherty that she would shoot him if he came near her again.

Police ultimately arrested Doherty on the misdemeanor domestic battery charge. The report states that Doherty declined to provide a statement to officers at the scene.

The allegations in the police report have not been proven in court.

Doherty's Side Claims Self-Defense

Doherty's side has offered a different characterization of the confrontation.

Sources described as close to the YouTuber told TMZ following his arrest that he had acted in self-defense. That claim has not been independently established, and police have not publicly characterized Doherty's alleged conduct as self-defense.

The scratches police documented on Doherty are part of the circumstances described in the report. According to investigators, however, the woman said she made contact with him while attempting to create distance after he approached her.

Doherty himself declined to discuss the incident with officers, according to the police report.

The competing accounts will now become part of a criminal case rather than simply an online dispute.

Doherty Pleads Not Guilty

Doherty appeared in bond court the morning after his arrest, where a magistrate found probable cause and set his bond at $1,000. He was also ordered to have no contact with the woman involved in the case. He subsequently bonded out of jail.

On Sept. 8, Doherty formally pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor domestic battery charge, according to a court filing reported by PEOPLE.

The plea means Doherty is contesting the allegation against him. The criminal case remains unresolved, and neither the arrest nor the probable-cause determination amounts to a finding that he is guilty.

The charge is currently misdemeanor domestic battery. Despite the allegation involving Doherty's hands being placed around the woman's neck, publicly reported court records show he has not been charged with a separate felony strangulation offense in connection with the incident.

Second South Florida Arrest in Less Than a Year

The Fort Lauderdale case marks Doherty's second highly publicized arrest in South Florida in less than a year.

Miami Beach police arrested him in November 2025 after officers accused him of obstructing traffic while filming content and repeatedly refusing commands to leave the roadway.

During a search after that arrest, officers reported finding half of an orange pill they identified as consistent with a Schedule II amphetamine as well as approximately four grams of suspected marijuana. Doherty was booked on charges that included possession of a controlled substance and resisting an officer without violence.

That earlier case did not result in a conviction.

Court records show Doherty entered a deferred-prosecution program. The marijuana count was dropped, and reporting on the case indicates he completed the pretrial diversion process.

His latest arrest is therefore a separate case involving an entirely different set of allegations.

Doherty has built one of the largest audiences among his generation of online creators, with more than 15 million subscribers on YouTube and millions more followers across TikTok and Instagram. His content has frequently centered on pranks, confrontational videos, expensive cars and attention-grabbing stunts.

This time, however, the confrontation is playing out in Broward County's criminal justice system rather than on a livestream.

What initially emerged as a brief report of an uninjured woman and a misdemeanor arrest has developed into a more serious set of allegations after police released their account of what allegedly happened inside the Fort Lauderdale home.

Doherty denies the charge through his not-guilty plea, while his side maintains that he acted in self-defense. The allegations against him remain unproven as the case moves forward.