A North Charleston woman escaped through a bedroom window during an alleged assault that was broadcast on a livestream, suffering several broken bones before police arrested her boyfriend. Kobe Canty, 27, now faces a second-degree domestic violence charge after officers say the attack on Kaylee Smith unfolded over repeated confrontations that ended with Smith fleeing to a nearby home for help before a neighbor intervened.
According to Live 5 News, the North Charleston Police Department arrested Canty on Friday after a livestream showed the domestic violence fight. Police said Smith and Canty had been in a romantic relationship for three years and were living together at the time.
How the Confrontation Escalated
Police say Smith had argued with Canty several days earlier and stayed at a friend's home before returning to the apartment Thursday night. Once she was back, Canty allegedly started another argument, and Smith reported that he hit her as she tried to escape by locking herself inside a bedroom.
Officers say Canty then kicked open the bedroom door and continued assaulting her. Smith managed to escape through a bedroom window and sought help at a nearby residence, but police say Canty pursued her, pushed her to the ground, and repeatedly assaulted her again before a neighbor intervened and ordered both of them to leave. Responding officers ultimately found Smith lying in a breezeway with Canty standing over her, and North Charleston police officers took him into custody.
Smith was taken to a hospital for treatment and is recovering from several broken bones sustained in the alleged assault, according to the same report. North Charleston police have said that video of the incident circulating on social media would aid the investigation and prosecution, a point echoed in an arrest record posted by Crimewatch.
Bond, Booking and Prosecution
The Charleston County Public Index lists Canty's charge as second-degree domestic violence with a surety cash bond of $25,000, per the station's reporting. The index entry notes he cannot be released until he complies with fingerprinting and other required processes.
Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, who leads the 9th Circuit Solicitor's Office, said her office is prosecuting the case and has begun gathering information supporting the charges. The station's report is the only account detailing the bond conditions and prosecutorial statement in this case.
A Pattern Reflected in Statewide Numbers
The case lands amid broader scrutiny of how South Carolina tracks and prosecutes domestic violence. The state recorded 32,338 domestic violence cases in 2024, about 1,300 fewer than the year before, according to South Carolina Public Radio. Among cases with a known relationship that year, 36.4% involved a boyfriend and girlfriend while 17.9% involved spouses, and 75.6% of offenses statewide were classified as simple assault.
South Carolina Public Radio also reported that about half of the nation's domestic violence instances may go unreported, citing a federal Bureau of Justice Statistics survey. At the state's 2025 Silent Witness Ceremony, officials read the names of 35 women and 11 men who died as a result of domestic violence in 2024.
South Carolina law also addresses the aftermath of domestic violence convictions in other ways. Under the state's code of laws, a person's firearm or ammunition rights may be restored after the applicable period only if they have not been convicted of another domestic violence offense, have no pending domestic violence charges, and are not otherwise barred from possessing firearms, according to the South Carolina Legislature.
