ST. LOUIS – A woman accused of opening fire at authorities after threatening to shoot up a Social Security office in downtown St. Louis is offering her side of the story.
Jada Davis said the allegations were not true, just days after her release from jail without charges after the incident Friday morning.
Davis, 54, was parked in a van in the 700 block of N. 16th Street, right outside the office.
Police claim Department of Homeland Security officers made contact with Davis around 8:20 a.m., and that she was allegedly showing signs of mental distress. They say she refused to leave and threatened to shoot up the office, and that’s when Homeland Security officers called St. Louis police for assistance.
“I made no threats,” Davis told KMOX News Tuesday morning.
Police admit Davis started shooting after an officer broke the window on the sliding door of her van when she refused to get out of the vehicle.
“They were not in danger,” Davis said. “I did not shoot in their direction. That’s why they cannot charge me and did not charge with me armed criminal action or assaulting an officer, because I did not.”
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office initially refused to file charges. Davis was released by Saturday, apparently free to return to the Social Security office as she desired.
“That’s kind of weird and unsettling,” said office patron Frank Martin. “People wandering around with weapons and shooting places up and whatnot. I’m in favor of the Second Amendment, but I also understand we have to have reasonable regulations on that. You can’t just let anybody have a deadly weapon, because you don’t know. Maybe they are unstable.”
“I was supposed to come on Friday morning as soon as they opened,” said patron Breanna Camden. “I’m glad I didn’t. I would have been right in the crossfire. Anybody could have gotten hit. Bullets don’t have a name.”
The office was still an active crime scene when she got there a couple of hours after the gunfire, she said.
“What about the safety of others in the community?” she asked.
“If you bust a window out, I’m going to shoot you. That’s what I told (police),” Davis told KMOX News. “I just let you know there’s consequences and repercussions for busting a window on this car.”
Late Tuesday afternoon, Kim Gardner’s office did file two felony charges against Davis: discharging a firearm from a vehicle and armed criminal action.
The office released the following statement:
We care deeply about the lives and well-being of the officers of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and members of our community. At the same time, we have a duty to thoroughly investigate each and every incident. Despite the gunfire exchanged, fortunately no one was hurt. In this case, additional evidence was required from the police and various sources. Today, the Circuit Attorney’s office issued charges of discharging a firearm from a vehicle and armed criminal action. Investigations take time, and in all cases we must wait until the facts are submitted and reviewed. In every case, the Circuit Attorney’s office is dedicated to ensuring that the office carries out its duty to prosecute criminal cases in a manner that seeks justice rather than just convictions on behalf of the residents of the City of St. Louis.
Statement from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office
The process in this case included a psychological evaluation, according to authorities. A judge has ordered Davis held without bond once she’s in custody again.