Teen Charged with Assaulting MetroLink Rider with a Rock

Joseph Ahmad Davis, 19, punched, kicked and struck his fellow passenger with a "fist-sized rock"

Nov 30, 2023 at 6:00 am

Booking photo for Joseph Ahmad Davis. Courtesy SLMPD

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A St. Louis teenager is facing two assault charges after allegedly striking a stranger on the MetroLink in the head with a rock.

The charges, one felony and one misdemeanor, were filed yesterday against Joseph Ahmad Davis, 19. Police say that he was on the train on November 14 when he began rifling through the grocery bags of another rider who he didn't know.

The rider asked Davis to stop, but Davis responded by punching and kicking him. Davis then "paced back and forth" for a short time before returning to the other rider, this time with a "fist-sized rock," and striking the man in his head with it.

Police say the entire incident was captured on surveillance footage and the victim later identified Davis in a line-up. Davis has now been taken into custody. He has had numerous municipal charges filed against him in the past few months, including for assault and peace disturbance.

It's not exactly clear from the probable cause statement by police where the attack took place, but paperwork lists an address near the Union Station stop.

The most recent data from Metro Transit shows that the transit system sees only about 13 incidents per every 100,000 boardings. Of those incidents, fewer than half involve violent crime and the most common offense is trespassing.