US Pastor's 2 Children Witnessed His Fatal Shooting, Recorded It on Video
When a North Las Vegas pastor was fatally shot during an alleged dispute with a neighbor in December, one of his children captured the shooting on video using a cell phone.
That shocking detail was revealed after Pastor Nick Davi's widow, Sarah Davi, who was also shot and wounded during the incident, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the neighbor on Jan. 19, according to churchleaders.com.
Davi, 46, who served as pastor of operations at Grace Point Church in North Las Vegas, was taken to the hospital and later died from his injuries, according to KVVU-TV.
North Las Vegas police arrested Joe Junio, 36, on charges of open murder and attempted murder, according to KLAS-TV. She was also charged with child abuse and/or neglect, and discharging a firearm where a person might be endangered.
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According to media reports, the dispute between Junio and the Davi family centered around complaints the couple made about Junio's alleged violations to the gated townhome community's homeowner's association (HOA) related to chickens and dogs.
The Davi family had called the police twice last month about Junio, after she allegedly harassed the family by throwing rocks and feces in the couple's yard, flooded their home, and "exhibited threatening behavior" toward Nick, Sarah, and their two children ages 12 and 15, according to churchleaders.com.
Court documents obtained by KVVU-TV reveal that Davi's children witnessed the shooting and one of them captured their father's murder on cellphone video while sitting in the family's vehicle. The documents include a screenshot from the video taken by one of the children that shows Junio pointing a gun at Nick Davi.
"Your mind just can't process that," fellow pastor of Grace Point Church Ty Neal told the outlet. Neal said the family was terrorized for weeks by their neighbor to the point they had left their home and were staying elsewhere.
Junio reportedly confronted them in the parking lot of the gated complex about the complaints they had made to the HOA.
The video reportedly shows Nick Davi walking toward Junio's vehicle, and Junio shooting both Nick and Sarah.
The lawsuit alleges the HOA told Junio about the couple's complaints.
Although not named in the lawsuit, it alleges the HOA "knew or should have known that Defendant would likely perform violent actions against deceased and Plaintiff as a result of ongoing association dispute."
The lawsuit also alleges Junio did not have a license or permit to carry a firearm, and that she borrowed it from someone, according to KVVU.
Sarah Davi further contends in the lawsuit she suffered "severe physical injuries" and "extreme emotional distress" because of the shooting.
"As a result of Defendant's actions, Grace Point Church and North Las Vegas lost a valuable member of the community, and a family lost their husband and father," Davi's attorneys wrote.
The lawsuit asks a jury to award damages above $15,000—the standard minimum in Nevada civil suits, according to churchleaders.com.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $100,000 for the Davi family.
Meanwhile, Junio remains in jail on a $300,000 bond. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for March 4.
