STPSO Arrests Five for First Homicide of 2017

In what authorities are calling a drug deal gone bad, five are behind bars.  St. Tammany deputies responded to a shooting in Slidell on Sunday (January 8).  Three individuals, Christover Davis, Cody Hartley, and Anthony Ussin were negotiating a deal to sell marijuana to Javonte Donaldson, Amira Bickham, and Joshua Gayles.

The group agreed on a price and met.  Both groups came armed with guns, anticipating that the drug deal could go bad.  It did and both sides began exchanging gun fire at each other. Christover Davis fatally stuck Javonte Donaldson, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest. Joshua Gayles shot Christover Davis once in the abdomen, however, Davis’ injury was not fatal. The two groups fled, leaving detectives with several pieces of the puzzle to put together. Over the course of less than forty-eight hours, detectives were able obtain arrest warrants for all of the involved parties. All of now in jail.  

Christover Davis (22) is charged with First Degree Murder,  Cody Hartley (20) is charged with Principal to First Degree Murder and Obstruction of Justice, Anthony Ussin (26) is charged with Principal to First Degree Murder, Amira Bickham (19) is charged with Principal to Attempted First Degree Murder, and Joshua Gayles (22) is charged with Principal to Attempted First Degree Murder and Obstruction of Justice.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith says, “We want to send a strong message. If you think you are going to act like a bunch of gang members on the Northshore, think again. We will not tolerate it. The sad thing is that now a family is mourning the death of a loved one and five others are going to spend a very long time behind bars.”