'06 shooting victim's '09 death is an '11 homicide
A man who was shot in 2006 - and who died in 2009 - was classified as a homicide victim this week by city police, officials said.
The medical examiner determined that Gerrod Davis' death in February 2009 was caused by complications from gunshot wounds suffered Aug. 31, 2006 in Northeast Baltimore's Four-by-Four neighborhood.
Police said Davis, who was 22 when he was shot, was coming out a corner store in the 3300 block of Elmora Ave. at about 2:10 p.m. when a dark Lincoln Towncar pulled up and an unknown suspect got out and began firing at him. Davis was struck in the neck, head and hand, police said.
Each year, there are a number of deaths added to the city total when someone wounded in a shooting from years ago later dies. Because cities can't go back and revise their homicide statistics from prior years, the death gets added for the year when the determination was made. It's not unlike how solved cases from prior years count toward the present year's clearance rate.
I was able to find an obituary for Davis posted on the March Funeral Home website. In it, his family says Davis "leaves behind a legacy of will power, perseverance, determination, and faith in God Almighty .He made friends any and everywhere he went and with that winning smile he would light up the room as well as your heart."
Comments
Does this accounting method work in reverse too?
If the detectives solve an old case this year will that clearance add to this years numbers?
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Yes, old cases closed this year go to this year's clearance rate. Otherwise, agencies would be constantly revising old numbers and submitting new information to the FBI.
Posted by: MrRational | September 15, 2011 12:40 PM
Very strange. My head is still spinning from the article title.
How many cases like this happen each year, and how many are there this year so far?
-There's anywhere from 3 to 12 cases like this each year, I believe. In 2009 when homicides went up very slightly, it was l largely because of an unusually high number of these types of cases. -JF
Posted by: Joe | September 15, 2011 1:27 PM