Man arrested in assassination attempt of Opa-locka city commission candidate
MIAMI — A man was arrested Wednesday night for an alleged assassination attempt on an Opa-locka city commissioner candidate.
Anthony Mitchell, 50, was arrested for the attempted murder of Chris Davis, arrest documents said.
Just after 10 p.m., Opa-locka Police was called out to a battery in progress at 2270 Burlington St., where officers met with Davis, Mitchell and another man named Tommy Johnson, who all had minor injuries and scratches.
According to the arrest documents, Davis said he was driving west on Burlington from Northwest 22nd Avenue when he saw Mitchell and Johnson standing in front of a home at 2270 Rutland St. Davis told officers his window was down and he recognized them as two men active in city politics. Davis added that he was currently running for a seat on the Opa-locka City Commission, arrest documents said.
Davis said he was returning from the store with wood and supplies for campaign signs when he pulled into his driveway and walked to the corner of Rutland and 22nd Avenue when Johnson confronted him in the middle of the street and then threw a punch at him, arrest documents said. Davis ducked and dodged Johnson before throwing a punch himself at Johnson's head, knocking him to the ground unconscious.
Davis then told police that while he was fighting Johnson, Mitchell came out into the street and put him in a headlock and then began fighting each other.
Davis eventually got tired from fighting and tried to run away before Johnson allegedly threatened him, believing he was going to be shot, arrest documents said. Davis then began running toward his house and when he looked back, he allegedly saw Johnson taking a "tactical one-knee stance" and preparing to shoot him. Davis said he then jumped into his car and drove out of his driveway to avoid getting shot and then heard "multiple gunshots" coming from Johnson's direction, arrest documents said.
Davis then drove from his house to the west end of the street before returning home sometime later. When he exited his car, he told police that he found a bullet hole in the driver's side door and that the bullet did not go past the inner layer, arrest documents said.
When police spoke with Johnson, he admitted to fighting with Davis in the street but denied shooting at him. Police also talked to Davis' next-door neighbor, who said he heard at least two gunshots from the east side of Davis' home and saw him driving away at a "high rate of speed," arrest documents said.
Police then spoke with Mitchell, who also admitted that he was fighting Davis but that Davis instigated their fight and also denied the shooting. According to the arrest documents, Mitchell said the fight happened because he and Johnson were backing "Commissioner Kelly and Brian Davis for the city commission seat."
CBS News Miami has not confirmed these claims and police did not share whether Johnson was also arrested.
