NABET-CWA Cameraman Struck, Killed by Car

Gordon Davis of NABET-CWA Local 52031, a veteran cameraman on the overnight "hot-spot" beat for WJLA-TV 7 and its partner station, NewsChannel 8, was struck by a motorist while covering a fire in Upper Marlboro, Md., on Dec. 20. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

"Gordon was very well thought of, a great newsperson," said Carl Mayers, president of Local 52031. "The biggest thing in our industry right now is to come across to our employers as news professionals, not just operators, and he certainly came across that way."  Local 52031 is currently working with WJLA, the ABC affiliate, to identify and resolve all safety concerns.

Davis, 51, is survived by a wife and teenage daughter. Mayers said the local, either alone or with WJLA, planned to set up a fund to help pay for their daughter's education.

Davis had just finished shooting a blaze in a framing store along Crain Highway (Route 301). He was hauling his equipment back to his truck at about 2:40 a.m. when he was struck crossing the highway. The motorist stopped and alerted firefighters and paramedics, who initiated immediate life support measures. They transported Davis to Southern Maryland Hospital, but he didn't survive his injuries. 

Davis, the only full-time overnight videographer employed by any local news station in the Washington, D.C., area, covered shootings, fires, accidents and other emergencies for more than a decade.    

Bill Lord, vice president for news at WJLA, told the Washington Post, Davis "was a beloved character on the overnights both here in the station and among the police, fire and media communities who share those hours."