In the summer of 2020, a domestic dispute in Waterbury, Connecticut, tragically escalated, ending the life of 48-year-old William Charles David, a Black/African American male. On the evening of July 13th, police responded to calls of gunshots on John Street. There, in a driveway, they discovered David with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his head. A handgun was also found at the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner would later confirm that David died from multiple gunshot wounds to his head, torso, and upper extremity, ruling his death a homicide.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began inside a second-floor apartment where David was involved in an argument with his girlfriend. The situation intensified when her brother, 35-year-old Ramon Ocasio, arrived and confronted David. The conflict spilled outside, with David in the driveway and Ocasio on the second-floor rear porch. Following a heated verbal exchange, Ocasio fired several shots at David, striking him multiple times. After the shooting, Ocasio fled the scene in a red Ford F150 pickup truck with Florida license plates.
Waterbury police quickly identified Ramon Ocasio as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant, charging him with murder, criminal use of a weapon, and illegal discharge of a firearm. Authorities warned the public that Ocasio should be considered armed and dangerous. A manhunt ensued, and approximately three months later, on October 14, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service located and apprehended Ocasio in Orlando, Florida. He was subsequently extradited back to Connecticut to face the charges against him and was held on a $1.5 million bond. In October 2024, Ramon Ocasio was convicted of the murder of William David and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
William Charles David, known to some as "Joe Babe," was born in Waterbury on May 30, 1972. He was educated in the local public school system and later established his own small business, a lawn care and snow removal service. Remembered as being passionate about football and enjoying time with his family, his life was tragically cut short. He was laid to rest at Pine Grove Cemetery in Waterbury.
