Robert Leon Davis
Robert Leon Davis (born c. 1955) is a former American police officer. Charged with police misconduct in 1979, he fled while free on bail and remained a fugitive for 22 years before turning himself in. He has written two books: Cop Out, a memoir AbOUT his time as a fugitive, and Legal Minds, a book on detecting rogue police officers.
Biography
One of nine children, Davis grew up in The New Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove. He engaged in crime as a teen, but was encouraged by neighbors to become a recruit for the New Orleans Police Department police academy.
Davis joined the police force in 1977, but succumbed to the then-widespread culture of corruption. After being charged with [...] battery and malfeasance in office, he found the possibility of a 30-year sentence in Angola Prison untenable and fled while free on bail. He spent the next 22 years as a fugitive, living in the woods and occasionally in cities throughout North America.
Following a religious experience while in the woods of Tennessee, Davis surrendered to authorities in 2001. He was not sentenced to prison time; the judge felt his years of self-imposed exile were sufficient. Davis decided to devote himself to consulting with criminologists and speaks publicly about avoiding crime and corruption. Profits from his book are donated to various women and children abuse organization.
Published works
- Cop Out, (iUniverse, 2007)
- Legal Minds: Detecting Rogue Police Officers and Other Important Law Enforcement Issues (iUniverse, 2008)