ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. -- A St. James, Mo., man was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for a drug-fueled attack on an O'Fallon police officer and a woman last year at a mobile home park.
Scott M. Davis Jr., 23, was convicted of two counts of assault and armed criminal action by a St. Charles County jury in September. The 25-year sentence, handed down by Circuit Judge Dan Pelikan, followed the jury's recommendation.
The 90-minute hearing was laced with emotion and included several outbursts from Davis' family and friends, who have disputed the account given by police in the case.
Testimony included victim impact statements from Catherine Naber and O'Fallon police Officer Thomas Kenyon, who were both injured during the incident on April 18, 2012, in the 7900 block of Oakbark Court.
Naber testified that she gave Davis a drug she thought was LSD the day of the incident in the hopes that it would help brighten his mood following the death of one of his relatives. Instead Davis attacked her with a medieval-type spiked club and a golf club. Naber suffered a broken jaw and thousands of dollars of dental bills.
"I was beaten and threatened and attacked and had to fight for my life," she said.
Yet Naber was forgiving and even apologetic for Davis' actions. She tearfully stated that she had been given immunity from prosecution for supplying the drug in exchange for her testimony, and she felt Davis' charges should be dropped as well.
Kenyon was the first officer on the scene and saw Davis in the middle of the street naked. Davis told the officer he was Lucifer and knocked the officer to the ground, repeatedly punching him in the head and face.
Davis grabbed at the officer's pistol and bit him in the face. Davis grabbed the handle of the officer's Taser and hit him with it.
Kenyon, who was able to escape Davis by shooting him twice, said at one point he thought he was going to die, and he saw the face of his daughter before he summoned the will to continue to fight. He said he has four scars on his shoulder because his injuries required surgery, and he continues to be in pain every day.
"I would like to see the defendant serve time -- the full 30 years and not a day less," he said.
Davis gave a rambling statement in which he said he had rededicated his life to his faith, and he apologized to Naber, Kenyon and his family.
Pelikan said he was not persuaded by Davis' comments, which he described as an attempt to manipulate the situation. In addition to prison time, Pelikan said Davis also must pay restitution to Naber and Kenyon, a sum of nearly $11,000.
Once during the hearing and once afterward, Davis' supporters yelled at the judge and the injured officer. Several bailiffs were called to escort several disruptive people from the building.
Copyright 2013 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
