Man at center of police shooting case is now charged with murder

A man shot in the face in a run-in with police last summer has now been charged with first-degree murder in a separate incident from the same morning. Keith Davis Jr., 24, was convicted last week on a single gun charge in connection to the first incident, in which prosecutors said he tried to rob a hack driver before running from police and hiding in an auto garage. A jury acquitted him of trying to rob the driver and of several firearm violations, but convicted him of illegally possessing a handgun. Prosecutors said a gun Davis wielded in the garage, and which police recovered after shooting him, carried his palm print. On Wednesday, Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said ballistics records from that gun matched those in the killing of 22-year-old Kevin Jones about five hours before and a half-mile away from where Keith Davis ran from the police on the morning of June 7. The commissioner said cellphone records “recovered and examined by the FBI” also placed Davis “in direct proximity” to where Jones was killed at the time the fatal shooting occurred. Jones worked as a security guard at Pimlico Race Course and had just been accepted into community college before he was killed. Police believe he was the victim of an attempted robbery. Jones was shot just before his shift began at 5 a.m. at the race course. Commissioner Davis said the decision to bring the murder charge had nothing to do with Davis’ trial last week. Police had reached a point with prosecutors and their FBI partners where they felt the evidence supported the charge. “It’s a strong case,” the commissioner said. “This case was brought forward simply on behalf of justice.” Latoya Francis-Williams, Davis’ defense attorney, questioned that assertion and said she would be “ready to rumble” if Davis retained her to defend him again. “Knowing what we know from the first trial, this is, quite frankly, an outrage,” she said.