PORTLAND, Ore. — The city of Portland is facing a $2 million wrongful death lawsuit related to the stabbing death of Mark Anthony Davis in 2022. The lawsuit alleges that police failed to properly investigate a prior assault by the man accused of killing Davis.
Davis’ daughter, Shenika Davis, is represented by attorney Greg Kafoury. He argues that police did not adequately gather evidence from an assault case involving the accused just two days prior to the stabbing.
“When the police come upon the scene of a vicious attack of one person on another, their primary responsibility is to gather the available evidence,” Kafoury said.
Court documents reveal that 20-year-old Kalil Ford was arrested on September 28, 2022, for assaulting a woman and leaving her bleeding on the sidewalk near Northwest 14th Avenue in Portland. Ford was charged with a misdemeanor and released the following day, September 29.
One day later, Davis was fatally stabbed at Northwest Broadway and Couch Street. Police later arrested Ford and charged him in connection with Davis’ death.
Kafoury contends that surveillance video, discovered days later by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, showed the severity of the initial attack on the woman.
“Here the key evidence of how vicious the attack was a video which was available for the asking. The officer never bothered, and that’s why my client, 24 hours later, was dead,” Kafoury said.
The lawsuit claims that Portland Police Officer Todd Trapp did not adequately document or investigate the initial assault, leading to Ford’s release and, ultimately, Davis’ murder.
“The older woman was attacked on the 28th, Kalil Ford was released on the 29th, and he murdered my client on the 30th,” Kafoury said.
Shenika Davis is seeking $2 million in her lawsuit against the city — $1 million for her father’s suffering and another $1 million for the loss suffered by his family.
“Hold police officers’ feet to the fire. They need to know that if they conduct sloppy investigations and the result is some innocent member of the public gets severely damaged or, in this case, killed, the city of Portland can be held to account,” Kafoury said.
KGW contacted the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice for information about Ford's release from jail. They said they are researching the case and will respond in due course. They noted that they follow guidelines regarding releases as per judicial orders.
The city of Portland and the Portland Police Bureau have yet to respond to requests for comment.