James E. Davis (New York politician)

James E. Davis
Member of the New York City Council
from the 35th district
In office
January 1, 2002 – July 23, 2003
Preceded byMary Pinkett
Succeeded byLetitia James
Personal details
Born(1962-04-03)April 3, 1962
Brooklyn, New York
DiedJuly 23, 2003(2003-07-23) (aged 41)
New York, New York
Manner of deathAssassination
(gunshot wounds to the torso)
Resting placeCemetery of the Evergreens, Brooklyn, New York
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materPace University (B.A.)

James E. Davis (April 3, 1962 – July 23, 2003) was an American policeman, corrections officer, and politician. He served on the New York City Council from 2002 to 2003. He was murdered in New York City Hall by a disgruntled aspiring opponent.

Early life

Davis was born and raised in Brooklyn, the son of a corrections officer and a registered nurse. He was raised with his brother Geoffrey A. Davis. He spent his early childhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant before his family moved to Crown Heights.

He earned a bachelor's degree at Pace University in social science and youth agency administration. He became a corrections officer at Rikers Island after being beaten by two white police officers, and then became a police officer himself in 1991. In 1990, Davis had started an organization called "Love Yourself Stop the Violence" dedicated to stopping violence in urban America. The NYPD soon assigned Davis to the New York City Police Academy as an instructor, and he became a frequent guest on local radio and television programs.

Political career

James E. Davis Post Office on Empire Boulevard in Brooklyn

Davis eventually qualified as a minister at Holy Trinity Baptist Church of Brooklyn and became a district leader and then a council member for Brooklyn's 35th Council district in November 2001.

The template for his successful City Council bid had been established by previous races against Assemblyman and Democratic Kings County Chairman Clarence Norman Jr., who narrowly defeated him in 1998. The campaign against the politically powerful Norman—and Davis's high-profile generally—ruffled feathers within the NYPD, and Davis was fired for violating a rule that prohibits paid city employees from engaging in electoral politics. In that November's election, his name was on the ballot on the old Liberal Party of New York line, for which Davis was fired from the NYPD. After pursuing litigation against the police department, Davis's claim that he never formally accepted the Liberal Party nomination was upheld and he was allowed to reclaim his job. He was not, however, permitted to return to his former detail at the police academy, instead being assigned to a night shift at a Brooklyn precinct.

His next campaign in 2001 was successful but would later be a factor in Davis's murder. Othniel Askew had raised funds to run against him, but had failed to file the proper papers on time, which led to accusations of political chicanery and caused Askew to harbor a grudge against Davis.[citation needed]

Death

James E. Davis at Evergreens Cemetery

On July 23, 2003, Davis brought Askew to attend a council meeting at the council chambers in New York City Hall, with the intention of honoring him by introducing him from the balcony. The councilman and Askew were able to bypass the metal detectors, a courtesy offered to elected officials and their guests. Once in the balcony, and as the full council and dozens of attendees gathered into the chamber for the meeting, at 2:08 p.m., Askew fired a silver .40 caliber weapon at Davis, striking him several times in the torso. Davis, a retired police officer, was carrying a weapon, but it remained holstered. A plainclothes policeman, Richard Burt, on duty as bodyguard to Gifford Miller, Speaker of the City Council, then fired at Askew from the floor of the chamber, striking Askew five times. Paramedics arrived quickly, and attempted to revive both Davis and Askew before taking them to Beekman Downtown Hospital, where both men died. Askew had a history of violence. It was discovered after the murder that Askew had asked Davis to sign papers naming him as Davis's replacement in case anything happened to Davis.

Davis's brother Geoffrey announced that he would run for the seat formerly held by his brother. He was defeated by fellow Democrat Letitia James, running on the Working Families Party line.

Davis was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Upon learning his killer's ashes were also in Green-Wood, Davis's family had his body exhumed and reinterred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens.

Law & Order episode

The murder incident would be used as the basis for "City Hall", an episode of Law & Order which aired on February 11, 2004. However, in the adaptation, the dead councilman was an innocent bystander, with the second victim, a low-level bureaucrat who survived with a shoulder wound, as the true target.

Electoral history

New York City Council District 35, 1997 Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary Pinkett (incumbent) 5,326 52.71
Democratic Errol T. Louis 2,969 27.82
Democratic James E. Davis 2,079 19.48
Total votes 10,374 100
New York City Council District 35, 1997 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary Pinkett (incumbent) 11,275 60.36
Conservative James E. Davis 3,005
Liberal James E. Davis 2,013
Total James E. Davis 5,018 26.86
Green Errol T. Louis 1,595 8.54
Republican David Voyticky 666 3.57
Independence Luvenia Super 127 0.68
Total votes 18,681 100
2001 New York City Council's 35th District Democratic Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James E. Davis 6,691 37.37%
Democratic Letitia James 5,746 32.09%
Democratic Peter Williams 1,823 10.18%
Democratic Abraham E. Wasserman 1,754 9.80%
Democratic William J. Saunders 875 4.89%
Democratic Sidique Wai 556 3.10%
Democratic Robert A. Hunter 556 3.10%
Total votes 17,907 100%
2001 New York City Council's 35th District General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James E. Davis 13,129 55.64%
Working Families Letitia James 9,762 41.37%
Independence Sidique Wai 497 2.11%
Liberal Sidique Wai 210 0.89%
Total Sidique Wai 707 3.00%
Total votes 23,598 100%
Democratic hold

See also


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