Mobile man indicted on attempted murder after charges were cleared

Davidson was cleared of these charges a few months ago
Published: Jun. 8, 2023 at 10:19 PM CDT

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A Mobile man is in Metro Jail charged with two counts of attempted murder.

He’s accused of shooting at two Mobile Police officers.

Valeido Davidson was arrested on a secret indictment Thursday by the Mobile County District Attorney Task Force.

Investigators say Davidson is one of two shooters who opened fire on those officers last year.

In September, investigators say two narcotics officers took fire while sitting inside a police cruiser on Flicker Drive.

The next day Davidson was arrested.

However, Davidson was cleared of the charges a few months later.

In a preliminary hearing in November, Mobile County Judge Zackery Moore dismissed the case because he said prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence.

District Attorney Keith Blackwood says new evidence led to the indictment.

“At that point no probable cause was found, however, the investigation continued and additional evidence was presented to a Mobile County grand jury,” Blackwood said. “And Mr. Davidson, as well as Travis Lawson, were indicted for attempted murder.”

Blackwood wouldn’t say what that new evidence is.

Travis Lawson was also indicted this week and faces the same charges.

During testimony in the November hearing, a detective testified they couldn’t ID Davidson as the shooter, and only described the gunman as quote “tall and skinny.”

“The process worked perfectly in this case because at that point we were unable to meet our burden and so the judge didn’t find no probable cause,” Blackwood said. “That happens. However, the investigation did continue just like it does in many cases.”

Davidson’s co-defendant Tymetrick James was cleared of the charges.

Chief Paul Prine gives an update after second suspect is arrested for firing shots at MPD vehicle

Blackwood says not enough evidence was found.

FOX 10 News reached out to Davidson’s attorney ChaLea Tisdale who says she was shocked when she found out about the secret indictment and said quote “I can’t fathom what evidence the district attorney’s office is going to produce when officers testified they could not identify my client as the shooter.”

Davidson is scheduled to appear in court either Friday or next week.