Ink Master star Chris Blinston was accused of battery against his girlfriend, but the case was dropped last week.
The State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence to prove the allegation beyond a reasonable doubt, TMZ reports.
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In November, TMZ reported that Blinston was arrested after his girlfriend told police he tried to end an argument by picking up a safe and pushing her out of the way with it.
According to the police report, Bilnston told his girlfriend he wanted the social security cards and birth certificates for their three children. She said they were locked in the safe and would open it later. However, he allegedly picked up the safe and said he would open it with an axe.
Blinston denied touching her to police, but he was still arrested and released the next day. He was ordered to stay away from the woman.
The alleged incident happened more than a year after he was arrested for allegedly trying to strangle his then-13-year-old daughter during an argument. According to police records, Bilnston allegedly “grabbed her around the neck and squeezed off her airway and was unable to breathe for 10 seconds.” His daughter then allegedly yelled at him for choking her.
Blinston allegedly called his daughter a “mental skank” and threatened to stop her from telling anyone about the incident. However, the daughter still told her therapist, who then contacted police. The police allegedly saw marks consistent with strangulation on her neck.
Blinston was charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation for the alleged attack. His attorney later claimed to TMZ his daughter framed him after looking up directions on how to make it look like she was strangled. A judge granted his request to get school computer records to prove the theory.
Prosecutors later dropped the charges in that case as well.
Blinston was the runner-up on Ink Master Season 6 in 2015. He owns the tattoo shop No Hard Feelings Tattoo in Coral Springs, Florida. His most recent Instagram post showed him spending time with his youngest children at Deerfield Beach.
“Did you remember to sit back and enjoy your children this holiday week?” he wrote. “I was reminded over and over how amazing mine are … I’m sure yours are too.”
On Dec. 5, Blinston posted a statement about learning from his mistakes and wanting to be a leader for his family again.
“Lord, I see my mistakes, let me lead my family once again, to follow in my footsteps as the leader I once was,” he wrote. “Remembering the direction I take and the steps I place in the sand… is where ALL of my family will also step. Amen.”
Photo credit: Spike TV
