Man indicted in fatal shooting outside Schenectady bar

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

A man arrested in Baltimore over the summer has now been indicted on charges of killing a man in Schenectady in 2011 and trying to kill two others.

Rodney Davis, 22, of Brooklyn, was to be arraigned Wednesday. The arraignment, however, was put off due to a scheduling issue. His attorney, Adam Parisi, said he expects his client to plead not guilty.

Davis is charged with one count of second-degree murder, along with attempted murder counts for each of the two others who were injured in the Nov. 13, 2011, shooting outside a Fifth Avenue bar.

Prosecutor Peter Willis confirmed Wednesday that prosecutors believe Davis specifically intended to kill each of the three people he is accused of shooting. He declined to detail the case further.

Davis, 22, of Brooklyn, is accused of killing 23-year-old Rashad Robinson outside Joe’s Bar, 1306 Fifth Ave., shortly after 5 a.m. that morning.

City police had been searching for Davis for several months when he was arrested in July by U.S. marshals in Baltimore. City police enlisted the marshals’ help after learning Davis might have fled there.

Police believe Davis fired into a crowd that morning, killing Robinson and wounding two others, George Lloyd, 23, of Schenectady and Shawn Coons, 28, of Rotterdam. Lloyd was hit in the leg, Coons in the arm.

In all, Davis faces one count of second-degree murder, three counts of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault, along with other assault and weapons counts. The indictment does not identify the specific alleged victims of each charge.

Authorities have said Robinson’s brother, William, rushed onto a crowded street corner the day after the shooting and fired at a man driving a car on Hulett Street. He apparently believed the driver was the man who shot his brother, according to police, but Davis was not at the wheel.

Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney has said he was not aware of any connection between Davis and the driver, Charles Taylor, who was wounded in the calf.

Charges are still pending against William Robinson.