Stefan Germaine Davis, an award-winning Bahamian artist known for his hyper-stylized pop and abstract artwork, was killed in Miami on Wednesday, Sept. 2, after his vehicle was allegedly struck by a suspect fleeing police.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, officers from the Robbery Intervention Unit pulled Luis Manuel Perez, 21, over in Brownsville shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday. When police confirmed he had an outstanding U.S. Army warrant for desertion, Perez allegedly sped off, eventually running a stop sign at NW 33rd Ave. and 51st Terr., and colliding with the vehicle driven by Davis, who later died at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.
The unexpected loss of Davis, nicknamed “Legend,” set off a wave of grief in the island archipelagic nation that crested at the highest levels of government with official statements from U.S. Ambassador Herschel Walker (“[Davis was] an artist whose talent and creativity brought joy to so many”), Bahamian M.P. and Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage Leslia Brice (“You were more than a creative force, you were a LEGEND. One of the greatest to ever do it”), and Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis: “Stefan had a remarkable gift, and it was always a joy to watch him bring our stories, our culture and our people to life through his art. His death is a tremendous loss for our country and our creative community…Rest peacefully, Stefan. You gave The Bahamas something beautiful, and we will always remember you.”…