Opinion ID: 785775
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Davis's Encounter with the Police

Text: 3 This case arises out of two conflicting versions of what happened at the corner of Capen and Martin Streets in Hartford, Connecticut in the late evening of December 23, 1997. Davis testified to his version of events at trial. According to Davis, he and a friend were innocently walking down the street past a group of people when Rodriguez, a Hartford police officer, ordered Davis to approach his cruiser. As Davis approached, Rodriguez grabbed him and pushed him up against the car. Rodriguez showed Davis a gun and a bag of drugs and asked, Whose shit is this? Davis told Rodriguez that they did not belong to him. Rodriguez then struck Davis repeatedly. Davis attempted to run away, but Rodriguez threw him to the ground. Davis heard a gunshot, but did not realize that he had been shot. Officer Rivera arrived on the scene, and he and Rodriguez began hitting, kicking and macing Davis. Davis did not resist, instead curling up into a fetal position on the ground. Officer Gordon arrived and pointed a shotgun at Davis's head, telling him to turn over. Davis was handcuffed, his feet were tied, and he was put in a police cruiser where he was maced again. Davis's testimony was largely corroborated at trial by his friend. 4 Officers Rodriguez and Rivera presented a starkly different story in their testimony at trial. Rodriguez testified that while on patrol that evening, he saw a sizable group of people congregating at the high-crime corner of Capen and Martin Streets. From his cruiser, Rodriguez ordered the crowd to disperse. Most of the people did, but Davis refused, responding fuck you, fuck the police ... I own this block. Davis, who may have been under the influence of drugs, was acting erratically, and Rodriguez decided to arrest him. Rodriguez testified that he did not have or show Davis a bag of drugs or a gun. He tried to put Davis's hands on the cruiser's trunk to perform a pat down, but Davis kept resisting. Rodriguez also believed that Davis was trying to take something from Davis's side and used his hands to stop him. Davis removed Rodriguez's nightstick from his belt, but Rodriguez was able to knock it away. As Rivera arrived on the scene, the officers heard a gunshot. Rodriguez threw Davis to the ground and maced him in an effort to protect himself and Rivera. Davis continued to struggle. Only after Gordon arrived and pointed a shotgun at Davis's head were the officers able to subdue Davis. Rivera told a similar story, adding that he saw a silver gun in Davis's hand and a plastic object fall from Davis's jacket. Rivera testified that a .32 caliber gun and a plastic container containing cocaine and marijuana were eventually recovered from the scene of the struggle. Once in the police cruiser, Davis continued to struggle, kicking and breaking one of the windows.