Pubdate: Tue, 31 Aug 2004
Source: Virginian-Pilot (VA)
Copyright: 2004, The Virginian-Pilot
Contact:  http://www.pilotonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/483
Author: Michelle Washington

GUNFIGHT DURING DRUG BUST AT MALL LEFT ITS SHARE OF SCARS

NORFOLK - Inside the gray Lincoln, three heads swiveled toward
undercover narcotics officers Windsor Brabson and Jemal Davis as they
pulled up in an unmarked vehicle. The element of surprise was gone,
and the officers knew it.

Brabson and Davis were part of a team of police attempting a drug bust
at Military Circle on June 11 . By the time they pulled up, one man
had been arrested inside the Doubletree Hotel . He'd been a passenger
in the Lincoln. Brabson and Davis approached the car with their
weapons drawn, shouting "Police! Hands up!"

The driver raised a gun and took aim through one of the rear passenger
windows, Davis testified in General District Court on Monday. The
first shot hit Brabson in the leg. The second hit Davis in the
stomach, embedding broken glass in the wound.

Officers and two men from the car exchanged gunfire. Brabson and Davis
both were hit again.

Two men from the car were hit by police bullets.

Those men, 27-year-old Artis Carmon Jr. and 23-year-old Sammie
Henderson III , have been charged with several felonies, including
attempted capital murder of a police officer . At the end of Monday's
hearing, General District Judge Ray W. Dezern Jr . sent charges
against Henderson to a grand jury. Carmon also appeared in court for
arraignment.

Davis testified that after the first shots, he pulled Brabson behind
the unmarked green sport utility vehicle they drove. Davis fired
toward the Lincoln, and heard another officer, Detective Luis Rivera,
call for help. Rivera and his partner, Gilda Klein, had pulled up in
front of the Lincoln to box it in. Rivera shouted, "Police officer, "
at the men.

Bullets came flying toward their blue van. Klein tried twice to exit
the van but was forced back inside when bullets hit the door.

Davis pulled up the silver and black Raiders jersey he wore, and saw
blood staining his T-shirt underneath. Still, he moved from behind the
green truck to help Rivera.

"Hey!" Davis shouted to the driver of the car, who had stepped out.
Police later identified that man as Carmon. As Carmon turned, Davis
shot him twice, in the chest and the shoulder. Carmon fell.

Davis continued to move forward, trying for a clear shot at a man in a
red shirt, later identified as Henderson, who had fled from the
passenger side of the Lincoln. Davis walked in front of Carmon,
concentrating on Henderson.

"As I passed where Artis Carmon fell, he was still in the fight, as
you say, and he shot me a second time," Davis said.

Davis stumbled but caught himself against the truck. He shot toward
Carmon again, and then kicked the gun out of his hand.

Rivera testified that he could see the gun in Henderson's hand as he
ran toward the mall. Rivera again shouted, "Police officer! Police
officer! Police officer!"

Their eyes met, Rivera said. The man in the red shirt raised his hand
to aim.

"I believed he was making an attempt to kill me and others," Rivera
said. "I fired my service weapon, striking him."

Henderson's defense attorney, James S. Ellenson, questioned each
officer about what clothes they wore that night. All the officers wore
civilian clothes because they worked undercover.

Ellenson suggested that Henderson had not been able to see Davis'
silver police badge against the black and silver of his football jersey.

Brabson wore a white T-shirt and jeans, with his badge on a chain. He
pulled out the badge during his testimony. Rivera wore a baseball
jersey with shorts, and Klein wore a purple polo shirt with khaki shorts.

The officers did not wear body armor because they were originally
assigned to surveillance, and armor would have given them away, Davis
said.

Davis said he underwent a six-hour surgery the night of the shooting.
The bullets tore holes in his intestines. Doctors eventually removed
more than a foot of his intestines and about half of his colon, Davis
said.

Brabson recently returned to work. Davis has not yet been cleared to
return to duty.

Henderson spent several days in the hospital after the shooting.
Carmon was released from the hospital about a week ago.

Both are being held in jail without bail.
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