The United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced two men previously convicted of felonies entered guilty pleas for crimes involving the illegal possession of firearms they were not allowed to have due to their previous convictions. John Davidson Long of Jackson was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. Demitrious Davis of Memphis, meanwhile, pled guilty but not has yet received sentencing.
According to prosecutors, Jackson law enforcement officers observed multiple members of the Vice Lord gang gather in the Parkway East Apartment Complex at Carver Cove in Jackson, Tennessee. “While monitoring the cameras, Long was observed standing outside of a car with a black handgun protruding from his waistband.” Since Long is a convicted felon, it is illegal for him to possess a firearm.
As officers arrived on the scene, Long fled in a black Nissan Altima. Police later stopped the car during a traffic stop on the vehicle for a window tint violation, and the driver of the vehicle gave officers consent to search the vehicle. “During the search, officers located a black Taurus .9mm handgun hidden inside a dash panel in front of where Long had been seated. That handgun matched the description of the firearm that the officer observed protruding from Long’s waistband.”
The handgun was loaded with twelve rounds total, and further investigation revealed the gun had been stolen in August of 2020.
According to the statement, the ten-year sentence is the maximum sentencing for the crime, and “He will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.”
For Davis’ case, court documents revealed he attempted to flee during a traffic stop.
As the detective activated the blue lights, the vehicle stopped. When the detective approached, Davis backed up and turned his tires in a maneuver to drive away. The detective gave commands to stop. As Davis continued to accelerate, the detective shot at Davis, striking him in the arm. Davis’ front bumper struck the detective, causing leg and shoulder injuries. Davis continued to drive away and crashed into a mailbox.
A Shelby County Sheriff saw Davis run from his vehicle and throw the gun into a yard, where it was later recovered by detectives. The gun had a total of 30 rounds and was identified as a Glock.
Davis pled guilty and faces up to ten years in prison. Davis has been convicted for prior illegal possession of a firearm, where he served 34 months and three years supervised release.
“The defendant was on supervised release when he committed this crime, and a violation is pending in this matter,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
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Morgan Nicole Veysey is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
