Troy Teen Involved in Bridge Jumping Incident Sentenced in Albany

Remember when someone jumped off part of a bridge to elude police back in July? He was sentenced for criminal possession of a weapon....

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ALBANY, NY – District Attorney P. David Soares announced today that JAYVON DANIELS, 17, of Troy, was sentenced to 8 ½ years in State Prison, in addition to 5 years of Post-Release supervision before Honorable Judge Thomas A. Breslin in Albany County Supreme Court this morning.

On July 21, 2014, DANIELS pleaded guilty to (1) Count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C Felony.

On March 26, 2014, DANIELS was in the backseat of a 2014 Chevrolet Cruz on in Troy with two companions.  The vehicle they were driving in matched the description of one that was involved in a shooting the night before, and police attempted to stop the vehicle to question the occupants.  The driver, DAHMEEK MCDONALD, 19, also of Troy, led police on a high speed pursuit into Albany County, driving the wrong way for over half a mile in Interstate 787, and reaching speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour on residential roads such as Myrtle Avenue, and over 80 miles per hour on the Dunn Memorial Bridge.

The chase ended when the driver crashed the vehicle into a guardrail on Dunn Memorial Bridge.  The three occupants ran out of the vehicle.  At that time DANIELS threw a loaded 9 MM Jiminez Arms handgun over a railing, which landed on a lower bridge and discharged a round upon impact.  DANIELS then jumped off of the bridge and fell roughly 40 feet, resulting in serious physical injury.

 
MCDONALD also jumped off of a bridge railing and was injured.  At the scene police determined that MCDONALD had crack cocaine in his possession.  On June 12, 2014, MCDONALD pleaded guilty to (1) Count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree, a Class C Felony, and was sentenced to 4 years in State Prison on August 5, 2014 before Honorable Judge Breslin in Albany County Supreme Court.

A third passenger, DONOVAN MAYS, 17, of Troy, was also arrested after also climbing over the bridge railing, but police prevented him from jumping off.  MAYS pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and faces 3 years of Probation when sentenced on September 19, 2014 in Albany City Court.  

“Today’s sentence of 8 ½ years in State Prison for 17 year old Jayvon Daniels should be viewed as an interruption in his young life. Any teenager in illegal possession of a loaded firearm is viewed as intending to use it to destroy a life and bring an already fearful community in to a state of social paralysis. In today’s cycle of recycled violence, today’s shooter could be tomorrow’s cadaver. Mr. Daniels and his associates are fortunate for law enforcement intervention. However, only Mr. Daniels can determine his ultimate path in life,” commented DA David Soares.

Assistant District Attorney Steven Sharp prosecuted these cases.