Joplin teen pleads guilty to drive-by shooting, plea agreement calls for shock incarceration

A Joplin teen who was charged with 10 felonies in connection with a June 14 drive-by shooting at 406 N. Pearl pleaded guilty to one felony charge of firing a weapon from a vehicle and was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday by Judge David Mouton.

Under a plea bargain agreement, Jacob Russell Davis, 18, will likely not to have to spend more than a few months in prison. He will receive shock incarceration, then be released and placed on probation.

A probation violation could send him to prison for the full 15 years.

The shooting incident was described in a Joplin Police Department news release:

On June 14, 2018 at approximately 11:27 p.m. a drive by shooting was reported at 406 N. Pearl Ave Joplin, MO via multiple 911 calls for service. Patrol officers responded to the area and secured the scene and determined that no injuries were reported. Joplin Police investigators responded directly to the scene to assist with the investigation. It was reported that a vehicle described as a dark SUV drove by the residence and a subject in the SUV fired multiple gunshots. Patrol officers and investigators conducted interviews and collected evidence from the scene.

On June 15, 2018 at approximately 2:06 a.m. two detectives in an unmarked police vehicle were patrolling the area of Broadway St. & High Ave. While the detectives were stopped on the side of the roadway a dark SUV matching the description of the suspect vehicle in the earlier shooting pulled up beside the detectives. 

An occupant of the SUV pointed an unknown object at the detectives and then shouted. The detectives attempted to make contact the with subjects in the dark colored SUV however, the SUV fled and the detectives initiated a pursuit of the vehicle.

The pursuit continued from Joplin, MO to Labette County, KS where the vehicle came to a stop. The driver of the dark colored SUV, Marquis Saunders was taken into custody by the Labette County, KS Sheriff’s Office. Also in the vehicle was one other adult and four juveniles.

Davis was initially charged with five counts of shooting a gun from a vehicle and five counts of armed criminal action Thursday. H