In a recent legal shift, Anthony Mitchell, initially charged with attempted murder after an altercation with Opa-locka city commission candidate Christopher Davis, has had his charge reduced to battery. The dramatic accusation, stemming from an August incident that resulted in Davis sustaining a chipped tooth, was significantly scaled back following the emergence of defense evidence that Mitchell did not fire a weapon during the encounter. Michael Pizzi, Mitchell's attorney, announced the reduction, stating, "The reason these charges got dropped is because they realize it’s all a lie," as WSVN reported.
The course of events began when Davis became embroiled in a confrontation that, according to police reports, was predicated on mutual support for opposing city commission candidates. Davis claims that, after escaping in his vehicle, he was shot at, noting a bullet hole in his car as evidence of the altercation's severity. However, the narrative has quickly to unravel once defense testimonies and forensic results suggested that Mitchell never fired a gun. His attorney indicated, “They tested his hand to see whether or not he fired a weapon that night, and the test of his hand showed that he had never fired a weapon,” in a statement obtained by WSVN.
Mitchell, while relieved of the more dire charge, is not fully out of legal jeopardy. He now confronts a battery charge related to the incident. The judge in the case confirmed the state's intention to move forward with the battery allegation, despite Pizzi's assertive position that even this charge holds no weight and his client will ultimately be exonerated.
Authorities maintain that Mitchell managed to intentionally touch or strike Davis, leading to a physical injury—the loss of a front tooth—as outlined in the charging documents. Pizzi rebuked this by producing affidavits from eyewitnesses affirming Mitchell's innocence. "The reason this charge got dropped is because we produced affidavits from eye witnesses standing next to him testifying under oath that he never possessed a weapon, that he never shot anybody and because the test he did on his hand showed he never possessed a weapon," Pizzi clarified in an interview with NBC6.
While the prosecutor's office has yet to provide a statement regarding their decision to downgrade the charge, the community watches as the aftermath of a political clash spills into the courtroom. Mitchell remains under house arrest until his trial on the battery charge progresses. Meanwhile, the silence from Davis following these developments remains, as NBC6 has not received a response after reaching out for comment.
