ROBERT LEON DAVIS WAS A
CROOKED COP.
JUST ABOUT EVERY CRIME
YOU COULD NAME, WE DID.
AND ALL THE WHILE, WE WERE
WEARING THE BADGE.
BECAUSE SOMEONE WITH A BADGE
HAS A LOT OF POWER.
Reporter: HE GREW UP A
HARD-HEADED CHILD IN THE
CARE OF HIS CHRISTIAN
GRANDMOTHER.
SHE USED BIBLE STORIES TO
TEACH HIM RIGHT FROM WRONG.
SHE SAID, ONE DAY WILL
YOU REMEMBER -- WHEN I'M
GONE, YOU WILL REMEMBER THE
THINGS I'M TELLING YOU NOW.
Reporter: HE JOINED THE
NEW ORLEANS POLICE
DEPARTMENT WITH GOOD
INTENTIONS AND OUTSTANDING
ABILITY.
I WENT ON WITH THE -- YOU
KNOW, WITH GOOD HOPES AND
TRYING TO -- AS MUCH AS ONE
MAN CAN, CHANGE THE WORLD.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEW
PLACES THAT DID.
I WENT ON THE FORCE WITH THE
INTENTIONS OF BEING
HONORABLE.
Reporter: BUT HIS IDEAS
ABOUT CHANGING THE WORLD
WERE CHALLENGED HIS FIRST
DAY ON THE JOB.
THE SENIOR OFFICER I'M
RIDING WITH, 17 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE, JUST STARTED
STOPPING GUYS FOR NO
REASON.
STARTED SEARCHING GUYS FOR
NO REASON.
HE STARTED STOPPING VEHICLES
FOR NO REASON.
HE WAS JUST DOING CRAZY
THINGS.
HE WAS DOING EVERYTHING THE
ACADEMY SAID DON'T DO.
Reporter: HE FILED A
COMPLAINT WITH SUPERVISORS,
BUT THEY CONVINCED HIM TO
THINK TWICE BEFORE BLOWING A
WHISTLE ON ANOTHER OFFICER.
AT THAT VERY MOMENT, I
REALIZED WHAT I WAS GETTING
INVOLVED IN.
I REALIZED THIS PARTICULAR
FORCE WAS CORRUPT, AND I
REALIZED, EITHER I GET OUT
OF THIS OR I JOIN THE CLUB.
UNFORTUNATELY, I JOINED THE
CLUB.
EVERYTHING GRANDMA TOLD ME
IS OUT THE DOOR NOW.
CORRUPTION IS IN ME.
I THINK AT THE RATE I WAS
GOING, I COULD HAVE WOUND UP
KILLING SOMEBODY.
Reporter: ROBERT AND
HIS PARTNERS ADMINISTERED
THEIR OWN FORM OF STREET
JUSTICE.
BRIBE SOMEONE ON MONDAY, AND
HAVE SEX WITH SOMEONE,
UNWARRANTED, TUESDAY.
TRANSPORTING DRUGS ON
WEDNESDAY.
YOU'RE PROTECTING DRUG
ADDICTS ON THURSDAY.
EVEN INTERNAL AFFAIRS HAS TO
MAKE A MOVE.
Reporter: COMPLAINTS
AGAINST HIM PILED UP.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS SET UP AND
CAUGHT ROBERT BREAKING THE
LAWS HE A SWORN TO PROTECT.
I HAD ALREADY PLACED 37
PEOPLE IN PRISON.
THE WORD CAME DOWN ONCE I
WAS FOUND GUILTY, THEY WOULD
RAPE ME AND KILL ME.
I KNEW I WOULD BE DEAD
WITHIN 24 HOURS OF BEING
PLACED IN ANGOLA.
ROW
Reporter: HE DECIDED TO
RUN AWAY.
HE MADE HIS WAY INTO CANADA
AND LIVED AS A FUGITIVE.
I WOULD RUN AND STAY AND
THE WOODS AND NOBODY WOULD
EVER FIND ME.
I MADE THAT DECISION.
SOMETIMES I WOULD COME OUT
TO EARN SOME MONEY, $20,
$30, TO GET SOME CANNED
GOODS AND GO BACK INTO THE
WOODS.
Reporter: FOR 22 YEARS
HE CROSSED THE U.S. AND
CANADIAN BORDERS USING
DIFFERENT NAMES IN DIFFERENT
CITIES.
HE LIVED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE
HE COULD BE CAUGHT AT ANY
MOMENT.
AND HE BLAMED GOD FOR HIS
CIRCUMSTANCES.
HOW COULD THERE BE A GOD?
THIS GOD THING, IT'S A
CHARADE.
IT CAN'T BE TRUE.
AND PLEASE -- DON'T MENTION
JESUS CHRIST.
I HAD AN AFFINITIVE FOR
DISLIKEING HIM.
I THOUGHT THIS GUY IS A
FARCE.
I BECAME AN HARD-CORE
ATHEIST.
Reporter: AFTER EIGHT
YEARS OF LIVING ON THE RUN,
ROBERT THOUGHT OF KILLING
HIM.
FOR A STRETCH OF TWO OR
THREE DAYS, I WAS GOING
BETWEEN SUICIDE AND ALL
KINDS OF FEELINGS.
SO MANY THINGS STARTED
COMING UP.
I BELIEVE AT THAT POINT I
WANTED TO END IT ALL.
I HAD A PISTOL WITH ME, AND
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
Reporter: YET PASSAGES
FROM THE BIBLE HIS
GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT HIM CAME
TO MIND.
ROBERT DECIDED TO TEST GOD,
AND GOD ANSWERED.
I KEPT TESTING HIM WITH
MANY, MANY THINGS.
THERE WAS AN OLD COFFEE CAN,
SITTING OUT THERE, AND I
TOOK A ROCK.
AND I PLACED IT ON TOP OF AN
UPSIDE DOWN CAN.
AND I SAID WHEN I WAKE UP IN
THE MORNING, AND THAT ROCK
IS UNDER A CAN, I BELIEVE
YOU EXIST AND I WILL TURN
MYSELF IN.
AND WHEN I WOKE UP, THAT
ROCK WAS NOT ON TOP OF THAT
CAN.
I NEVER HAD THE COURAGE TO
LOOK UNDER THE CAN.
WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE
DEALING WITH GOD IN THE
WOODS IN TENNESSEE, IT'S A
VERY SCARY FEELING.
I INSTANTLY LOST ALL ATHEIST
VIEWPOINTS.
AND I INSTANTLY WENT BACK TO
MY GRANDMOTHER, AND VISIONS
OF THE BIBLE PASSES CAME IN,
AND THAT VERY NEXT DAY, I
SURRENDERED TO LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
BUT FIRST I SURRENDERED TO
GOD.
Reporter: HE WENT BACK
TO NEW ORLEANS A NEW MAN,
READY TO FACE THE CHARGES
AGAINST HIM.
I COULDN'T FATHOM A GOD
THAT WAS TELLING ME TO
SURRENDER, ONLY TO SURRENDER
TO DEATH.
IT HAD TO BE SURRENDERING TO
LIFE.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE
JUDGE WAS GOING TO RELEASE
ME.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WOULD
GET THE 30 YEARS.
SHE FELT I HAD SERVED TIME,
AND SHE WAS GOING TO TAKE A
CHANCE ON ME.
SHE TOLD ME THAT, I'M GOING
TO TAKE A CHANCE ON THAT.
Reporter: ROBERT IS A
FREE MAN, AND HE TELLS HIS
STORY TO POLICE ACADEMY
RECRUITS, AND WORKS TO HELP
PEOPLE.
I FEEL MY REASON FOR
COMING OUT OF THE WOODS IS
TO HELP PEOPLE.
TO ASSIST AS LEAST ONE COP
TO NOT DO WHAT I DID.
AND IT WILL ENCOURAGE A
COMMON CITIZEN TO REPORT A
COP THAT IS BAD.
Reporter: AS HE LOOKS
BACK AT HIS 22 YEARS FROM
THE LAW, HE NOW KNOWS HE WAS
NEVER ALONE.
GOD WAS THERE FOR ME, AND
HE IS THERE FOR ME NOW.
I FORGOT GOD, AND I HATED
HIM.
BUT GOD DIDN'T FORGET ME.
AND AS MUCH AS I HATED HIM,
HE LOVED ME.
