A fatal confrontation in a quiet Oakleaf Plantation neighborhood has drawn national attention after a man wanted for a homicide in Mississippi was shot and killed by a Florida deputy.
The family of 48-year-old Morris Anthony Davis has now retained renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump to challenge the narrative surrounding the May 9 incident, which was captured in a harrowing bystander video.
The events began around 4 p.m. on Pebble Stone Court when Clay County deputies arrived to assist the Florida Department of Children and Families with an investigation. During a routine check for warrants, deputies discovered Davis had an outstanding out-of-state warrant.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Davis armed himself with two knives and became confrontational, eventually crashing through a fence into a neighbor’s backyard.
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Footage obtained by First Coast News shows Davis on the ground after the fence gave way. With two deputies pointing weapons at him, Davis can be seen waving a knife and heard yelling, “Please kill me, I’d rather die than go back to prison.”
Shortly after that plea, Deputy D. Brown fired the fatal shots. The Sheriff’s Office stated that deputies had previously used Tasers multiple times in an attempt to disarm Davis, but the non-lethal force was ineffective. It was later confirmed that the warrant was for a homicide in Mississippi.
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the Davis family, argues that the use of deadly force was unnecessary.
“Morris Davis was a human being, loved by many, and his family deserves the truth about why he died in such a brutal manner,” Crump said in a statement. “When a man is on the ground, unable to stand, unable to advance, posing no imminent threat, and deputies still choose to use deadly force, we must ask serious questions about whether that force was justified. Video shows there was distance, time, and options.”
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The legal team alleges that Davis was physically unable to rise when he was shot and did not pose an immediate threat. This stands in stark contrast to the description of a man who had been “confrontational” and armed just moments prior.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office have launched an independent investigation into the shooting.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the social media video and confirmed that Deputy Brown has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the probe. Once the independent investigation is finished, the Sheriff’s Office will conduct its own formal review of the use of force.
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