Arrest in homicide of man who died driving himself to Jersey City hospital
William Davis first appearance
Gallery: William Davis first appearance
By Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal
JERSEY CITY -- A 23-year-old Jersey City man has been charged with the murder of a 20-year-old who died while attempting to drive himself to a hospital after being shot early Saturday.
William E. Davis, of the 100 block of Wegman Parkway, is accused of fatally shooting Amir Pleasant, who was shot in the head on Dwight Street near Garfield Avenue just before 5 a.m.
Davis made his first appearance on the charges this afternoon in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, the state moved to detain Davis through the course of his prosecution.
Police found Pleasant in a car that crashed in front of the Jersey City Medical Center, located at Grand Street near Jersey Avenue, about a half hour after the shooting. The vehicle matched the description of a car seen leaving the scene of the shooting, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
Pleasant, who was shot in the chest, was pronounced dead at the scene, Suarez said. Davis, who was arrested yesterday, also faces weapons charges related to a gun, the criminal complaint says.
The court document charging Davis with murder also states the probable cause for the charges as the "statement provided by the defendant and video surveillance footage obtained."
A detention hearing for Davis will be held on Tuesday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.