Melvin Davis
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 26-year-old Melvin Davis of Milwaukee appeared in court on Thursday morning, November 7th for his initial appearance. He faces multiple charges in connection with an alleged drunk driving incident that happened on Milwaukee’s north side on Saturday, November 2nd.
The charges against Davis include operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated – 3rd offense, injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle and duty upon striking an occupied vehicle. On Thursday, Davis pleaded not guilty to the OWI charge -- and the court found probable cause to hold him over for further proceedings on the other charges.
According to the criminal complaint, Davis was driving an SUV near 76th and Hampton just before 2 a.m. when he struck a 45-year-old man who was attempting to cross the street. The victim “flew 4-5 feet into the air and ended up underneath a black car that was parked int he lot across the street.”
The complaint indicates a witness to the incident chased after Davis’ SUV on foot — and eventually flagged down an officer to inform him of what happened.
The criminal complaint says the officer was able to locate Davis’ vehicle a short time later driving at a high rate of speed. The officer saw “the vehicle’s front end had been damaged and that the bumper was caught on the undercarriage of the (SUV) and was being dragged.”
The officer later located Davis and his SUV in the driveway of a home on Silver Spring Dr. The officer noticed there “was a strong odor of alcoholic beverages on the defendant’s breath. The defendant was loud and argumentative and not cooperative with performing field sobriety tests.”
A search warrant was later obtained and Davis was taken to Froedtert Hospital to have samples of his blood drawn.
If convicted, Davis faces up to 12-and-a-half years in prison and $25,000 in fines. Davis’ previous OWI convictions happened in December 2008 and September 2009.
The complaint says the victim in this case “suffered a head injury with bleeding on the brain, a fractured left thumb, a fractured femur, a cut liver, and a fracture of the side of the spine in his neck.” The victim was last listed in critical condition.
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