Argument Over TV Remote Led To Violent Beating In East Orange: ECPO

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A jury has convicted an East Orange man of aggravated assault in connection with a violent beating that was sparked by a fight over a television remote control, prosecutors announced Thursday.

A jury returned a guilty verdict on two counts of aggravated assault for John P. Davis, 23, after a two-day trial, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors released the following details about the assault, which took place in April 2023 at an apartment on South Harrison Street in East Orange:

“Davis, who had been given permission to stay in the apartment, assaulted the apartment holder when she raised an issue over a TV remote control. The defendant violently beat the victim, who suffered a broken eye socket and a brain bleed. Officers from the East Orange Police Department responded to the incident and took Davis into custody.”

The woman was rushed to University Hospital in Newark, where she remained for several days with serious injuries, authorities said.

Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Byrnes said that she showed “tremendous courage” for following through and speaking at the trial. Byrnes also credited East Orange police for their “quick response” and medical staff at University Hospital for treating the woman and testifying in court.

Davis, who is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, faces a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison. He also may be deported to Jamaica at that time, prosecutors said.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29.

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