Kwamane Gordon Davis of Cumberland saw his cousin Alvin Daniels shot in the back three times at a late night party more than a year ago in western Goochland County.

In retaliation, he picked up a shotgun and pursued the shooter, Dwayne Richard Hardy of Goochland, firing two shots. One shot killed Hardy, severing vertebrae in his neck and piercing his carotid artery, said Goochland Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nancy Oglesby in Goochland County Circuit Court this morning.

Davis, 21 dressed in suit and tie, pled guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. The plea agreement had been reached between his attorney, Shannon Taylor and the Goochland Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office prior to the court date, originally designated as the beginning of a two-day bench trial on a second degree murder charge.

The violence stemmed from a late night party in the 3600 block of Hadensville-Fife Road on Sept. 12, 2010.

According to evidence summarized by Oglesby at the Wednesday hearing, more than 100 people were at the party, where a dance floor with a DJ had been set up outside. Earlier in the day a baby shower was held at the same address but there was no connection between the two events, said Oglesby.

Many of those at the party had been drinking and although the prosecution had interviewed 16 witnesses, accounts of what happened varied greatly, said Oglesby, with witnesses mostly divided into opposing camps.

What was clear is that two rival groups arrived at the event. The “Dogtown Boys” and the “Cartersville Gangsters,” also known as the “Central Virginia Gangsters” had been feuding since high school days but a truce had been called a week before.

But Hardy, a Dogtown member and Alvin Daniels of the Cartersville group, had not heard of the truce and began arguing.

Hardy then produced a handgun and pointed it at Daniels.

Daniels went to his car, where some witnesses said he was retrieving a weapon. Hardy approached him from behind and fired four shots from a .38 caliber revolver, striking Daniels three times in the back before fleeing.

Davis picked up a shotgun and pursued Hardy, firing the fatal shot.

The entire sequence of events took place in under two minutes, possibly much less, said Oglesby.

Taylor said toxicology reports showed that Hardy had a blood alcohol level of .21 at the time of death and said that if the case had gone to trial she would have explored the self-defense aspect of the case.

“He was fearful of what would happen to other people,” said Taylor of Davis’ frame of mind after seeing his cousin shot.
Goochland Circuit Court Judge Timothy K. Sanner commented on the complexity of the case, where there were two groups drinking alcohol, some of them armed, before pronouncing Davis guilty.

He set sentencing for December 20 and ordered a pre-sentence report and a victim impact statement be prepared.

Daniels, paralyzed from the waist down by the shooting, was present at the hearing in a wheelchair.

Davis faces up to 10 years in prison on the charge. He remains free on $100,000 bond.

Taylor said she would ask that both Davis and Daniels be allowed to testify at the sentencing hearing.