Gainesville Commission Hears from Mother Demanding Justice After Son's Death
At the Gainesville City Commission meeting held on Thursday, February 5, officials heard from the mother of Tyrone Davis, who lost his life on Archer Road near the I-75 overpass on December 27, 2025.
Officers with the Gainesville Police Department reportedly said Davis' death was "not suspicious" and that their "initial investigation determined Davis jumped out of a moving vehicle while in traffic, sustaining significant injuries to his head." However, GnvInfo hasn't obtained any official police reports showcasing how officers came to this conclusion.
GnvInfo submitted a records request and received a one-page incident report that doesn't contain many details on the incident, as the case is an active investigation.
"I'm just trying to find out what happened to my son," Rena Demps told commissioners.
(City of Gainesville)
Demps said she wants justice and to know what really happened. "I'm calling around... trying to find out things, but nobody [is] giving me an answer," she said. "I need justice. I need to know what happened to my son. I've lost of three of my sons; he was my last... Nobody will get back into contact with me. People are telling me different stories of what happened, but I'm his mother. I need to know what happened... I'm not saying it's y'all's fault, but I need to know."
Based on public reports, Davis was in the passenger seat and his girlfriend was driving. TV20 reported that Davis' family members said "it doesn’t make sense why his girlfriend, who was supposedly driving, would leave him on the side of the road."
Davis' cousin, Natalie Davis, said, “We were informed by the hospital staff that he did not die from natural causes, and that his injuries were not consistent with falling, or being pushed, or anything with a moving vehicle. It was more indicative of some form of blunt force trauma, and they said it wouldn’t be explained by jumping out of a moving vehicle, so that’s why we’re asking for a thorough investigation to be completed."
"If nobody can help me, there's always somebody higher," Demps told the commissioners. "I'm not going anywhere until I get my answers."
Mayor Harvey Ward told Demps he can't imagine what she is going through and that he would have someone from the city manager's office speak with her.
Tyrone Davis' death has received an extensive amount of attention online.
The Chronicle Speaks obtained the police audio and has published a series of YouTube videos relating to Tyrone Davis' death.
The case has also been covered extensively on a video published by Jessie Woo.
Last month, there was a protest held at the location where Tyrone Davis died that called for a full investigation into his death.
There is currently a Change.org petition calling for a full investigation into Tyrone Davis' death and it has nearly 3,000 signatures, as of this writing.
