Judge denies bond reduction in Olive Street shooting

A Cape Girardeau County judge denied a shooting suspect's motion for bond reduction Tuesday morning but promised to take up the request again later.

Tommy Joe Davis III, 30, faces charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with a June 4 shooting that injured a Cape Girardeau man at a home on Olive Street.

Davis' bond is set at $250,000 cash only. Public defender Leslie Hazel asked Judge Scott Thomsen to reduce Davis' bail to $100,000 cash or surety.

At that level, Davis would have to put up $10,000 to be released from jail while he awaits trial on the charges.

"If you have that kind of money, you need to hire a lawyer" instead of using a public defender, Thomsen told Davis in court Tuesday.

Davis said he didn't have that much money, but he planned to sell some cars he owned to cover it.

Assistant prosecuting attorney Frank Miller objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting the accusation against Davis.

A probable-cause affidavit filed in the case states the victim told police he answered the front door, and Davis shot him in the stomach.

"I'd hate for anyone else in Cape Girardeau County to answer their door like that," Miller said in court Tuesday.

The victim told police there was no argument before the shooting, but "there may have been a 'love triangle'" among the victim, Davis and Davis' girlfriend," the affidavit states.

Hazel reminded the court Davis is innocent until proven guilty.

Miller told Thomsen the defendant's prior offenses include exploiting a prostitute in Utah and an assault in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Thomsen denied the motion for bond reduction and set the case for preliminary hearing later this month, promising to take up the bond reduction motion again before he rules on the preliminary hearing.

The morning of the shooting, a SWAT team surrounded a duplex on Amblewood Drive for several hours after witnesses directed police there.

Police knew people were inside the duplex, where Davis lives, but after nearly six hours, two young men finally emerged from the home and revealed Davis was not there.

Police questioned the men -- acquaintances who had been staying with Davis -- but did not charge them with any crime after determining they were not trying to help Davis, Sgt. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department reported in June.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Olive Street, Cape Girardeau, MO