The Eric Metaxas Show - Robert Leon Davis (Encore)

Episode Date: September 6, 2024

Former police officer and wilderness survivor Robert Leon Davis returns to the show to tell more of his astonishing story of redemption and survival, all part of "Running Scared."

Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Eric Mataxis show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you can protect your wealth with noble gold investments. That's noble gold investments.com. Welcome to the Eric Metaxe show. Would you consider yourself smart, insightful, precocious, astute, clever, wise beyond your years, and good at checking a thesaurus for synonyms? Well, then you've come to the right place. Here now is the handsome, attractive, striking, gorgeous, and quite frankly, breathtaking, Eric Mott, Texas. I have a story for you today. Are you ready for what is like a great, great story? As a guy, speaking as a guy, and by the way, I am a guy, I think guys all have this fantasy of escaping into the woods

going off the grid, living off the land, running from the law. This story that you're going to hear today, I have on the line a man named Robert Leon Davis. He did this. He was a fugitive living off the land for 22 years. This is a movie. If somebody doesn't make a movie out of this, they're insane. He was a cop. He became corrupt.

all I can tell you is he's on the line. Robert Leon Davis, I want to hear this from you. Welcome to the program. How are you doing, Eric? I'm doing great. Your story is like truly one of those stories. You can't believe this is true, but I know it's true. Your book is titled Running Scared.

I want to hear your story. So let's start at the beginning. Where'd you grow up? I'm saying New Orleans is you're there now in Louisiana. That's your life has been lived there. apart from the 22 years in the woods. Yeah, pretty years. And you grew up, did you grow up as a Christian?

Yeah, come out of a Christian household, one of those households where, you know, what it came. You didn't have a choice. Well, but you, you and I were talking a little bit yesterday, you shared how pretty soon you got involved in crime, stealing cars, breaking them down, selling the parts to a fence. And this just became part of your life. When did you decide to become a cop? Cops. Okay. Now, in your mind, because I know you became a corrupt police officer, how long was it before you go from being a good cop to a bad cop?

Or did you enter with mixed motives? I was out of board that time. I had actually to change. I was no longer a thief or a crook or whatever, and I never really should have been there. This is something that I completely changed on. So at what point, by the way, how old are you right now? Now? Yes.

Oh, I'm over 60. You're over 60. Okay. I don't give a lot. You know why my ministry and point. Okay. So that's why I don't give out really detailed information because, you know, it's a lot of people I hear. And I don't want your listeners today.

I'm anti-bad cops. Yeah. That's what you're saying. that there's corruption, and when you come out against it, people are going to come after you. So I just ask to get a sense of your story. So you are, at this point, is this the 80s, the 70s, when you are just starting out as a cop? And I'm in my. Okay.

So you start as a cop. When do you begin to slip over to the dark side and enter the corruption as a police officer? Stopping vehicles. Laping females. And I was with this guy for maybe about, did we make a lot? these stops because I understand that I'm just coming out I'm by the book but everything he's doing is outside the book right and the very first day he told the thing that I'm geared up for me like you know I'm not with this after about after we discussed the ever the 8th day

I decided not to discuss it anymore but what was he doing when he was pulling these people over in other words it was something dirty going on or or he's shaking him down what's what was happening that he was doing that was not right you know you have to be you have to be doing something The proper vehicle that has his proper tags and everything is okay, and the people are driving. Was he, what was he? Now, was he black or white? He was a black cop. He was black.

He was a black cop. So this was this racial profiling? What was he doing? No, well, this happened with black and white cops. You remember, I'm rotating with, with, with, I'm not with one officer. Right. Maybe I should have said that from the beginning. I'm not with one trainer.

Only with three trainers. Right. But every two or three days I'm seeing the same one. Right. But I'm happy with white cops. But every time I loop with the three trainers, it's the same scheme. It's the same thing. They're shaking people down.

We're going to come back. I want to get the rest of the story. Folks, you will not believe this story. You will not believe it. You have to believe it because it's true. Stick around talking to Robert Leon Davis. There's a revolution happening right above our heads. It's about to make silver more precious than ever.

The Sun's power is taking over the world. It's growing so fast it'll be the biggest source of electricity by the 2030s. Solar. Here's the kicker. Every single solar panel needs silver to work. We're talking about a silver-paced web in every panel turning sunlight into power. Smart investors are already making their move, and that's where noble gold investments comes in.

With the silver IRA, you can surf this incredible wave of growth. It doesn't matter who sits in the White House or what Wall Street does. Solar power is unstoppable, and silver is its secret weapon. As the world goes green, your retirement could be going sterling silver. Don't let this opportunity slip through your fingers in 2024. Visit noblegoldinvestments.com. You may get up to 10 free, brand new one-ounce silver trump coins or a 10-ounce silver American flag bar with every qualifying IRA.

That's noblegoldinvestments.com. Folks, consider this. Without God, can we have a democracy? And if religion is removed from Washington, who pays the ultimate price? there's a new movie out called God's Not Dead in God we trust. The story of a small town pastor pushed into the political arena to run against a powerful regime, forcing faith and religion out of American politics. There's no better time for this movie.

In today's divided culture, all of this upheaval and yearning for spiritual leadership is America's collective scream to keep God in the forefront. God's Not Dead challenges mainstream liberals in the battle for spiritual leadership, hope, and faith in America. Watch it with your family and friends. and remember the words of Ronald Reagan, without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. Folks, we are one nation under God. Don't miss God's not dead in God. We trust a pinnacle peak production.

It's in theaters right now. God's not dead in God we trust. Check it out. Folks, I think that's enough part of your family for now. I'm talking to Robert Leon Davis. The book is Running Scared, absolutely unbelievable. a believable story of a good cop, gone bad, and then that's not even the beginning of where it gets crazy. So right now, Robert, you are just saying that you start out as a young cop,

and you start seeing these cops doing things they shouldn't be doing. Where does it go into corruption? In other words, what you're describing to me right now doesn't seem that bad. It just seems kind of weird. standard that, say, for instance, if you're stopping a pedestrian, they're not searching, they're not searching them. They're searching them for you saying, I'm not talking about just stops. I'm talking about stops with an intention, but if the goods are not there, you'll let him go. Wait, now I'm getting it.

Now I'm getting, it took me 10 minutes. So this is a shakedown. Take the care out of the guy at wallet and give him back his wallet. Well, of course, the guy is incredible, like whatever, but he's like, what do you want to do? you want to go to jail, I'll make up a charge on you with you. Is this $100 worth it? You know, that kind of thing. That's okay. This is amazing. So this is New Orleans. Of course, you let him go. Yeah. A guy might complain to internal affairs, but, you know, as it is as it is today, tendency for judges and district attorney is to. This is how it is. This is how to hear about this.

It's just how it is. I'm not saying all cops are that way. Of course not. Some cops, but there are a tremendous amount of, bad cop. So what I'm saying is that crime was taking props at these and it was no more than what I had done when I was in New Orleans as a crook. Okay, so you're watching this. You're a young cop. Where does it go from there? When do you get sucked into it? It took me about two weeks when I saw what was going on. I went to my commander. I went to my back you up on the shoes trying to tell me, he's telling me that I'm going to be blacklisted. A term or what's such a term back in 79.

I mean, nobody wants to deal with you. Nobody's going to back. This is like, I think it's better to work for the mafia organized crime. This is the level, this kind of corruption, we know when I hear about this, my blood boils. This is the most un-American, nasty. It just, it's so upsetting. I'm glad that, you know, we're talking about 1980, but the point is, I know some of this stuff still goes on. So what happens at that point?

Because now you're just a couple of weeks into this. You're a rookie. You hear this. What do you do? You're talking about a veteran police officer, a commandant, looking at you telling you this, and you're young, and what do you do? Look at what I've invested. Look at all the time I spent the police account. I didn't have too much into it.

And so I made a fatal mistake. I joined the club, and that's pretty much what it is. You know, you either do it or you don't do it. You got to understand something. And it's not like it is now in 2018. And now, police officers now can report each other without naming each other, and they never would know who did what. Back 179, I have to have my name on to Eternal Affairs, and they're going to call these officers in and say that in a situation. Yeah.

So about in my book, you either join the club or you get out the club. And unfortunately, I'm young, dumb. That's amazing. At that point, because it was a child. it. Right. It's so, this is so, it's so eye-opening, it's so hard to hear this, because when you think about the way young people look at cops today, they should look at them like this is the law. And instead, many of them have this kind of a view because they know, it just takes a couple of bad cops to destroy a whole generation's view of law enforcement. It's just satanic. That's, that's, that's all I call it. It's satanic. Yep. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Because, I mean, and I'm glad I want to say this off front, which I know you know, I'm going to be into that. But it's amazing that I have to.

Well, it's amazing stuff. All right. So you served for four years, and in 19, was it 1979 that you were arrested? I can't remember. Angola Prison is a great prison. I know Angola Prison. You're a dead man. Well, this is before, when I say Angola is a great prison, over the last years, it has experienced.

unbelievable spiritual revival. Jesus lives in that prison. It's like one of the, it's, that's a whole I could do programs on Angola Prison. But you're telling me in 1979, you know, if you go behind bars in that prison, you're a dead man. Two inmates with guards turning the other way. 1979, oh, something that I'm making up. You can do time in the, and then, and then as recently in the 90s. Tourists had problems being robbed by cops more than by criminals. Okay. So remind me not to go to New Orleans in 1979.

Well, so... And you know, I'm going to tell you with... Cell phones. Yeah. Because it changed. Remember, we're talking good against word in 1979. I wait for you to take that judge is going to put me... Or a district attorney is going to take that...

...that age, change everything. It wasn't that... So sometimes technology really does help us. We're going to go to a break. We are... We got to get to the heart of this story. Your story is... so unbelievable. I want my audience to understand that this is a true story. The book is called

Running Scared. Running Scared by Robert Leon Davis. We'll be right back. variety of health bundles. Whether you want to support your immune system, improve your sleep, promote joint comfort or detoxification support, Nutrametics has a health bundle right for you. The best part about Nutrametics, every year they donate a minimum of 50% of their profits to Christian charities and missions. That's right, 50% of their profits. Neutrametics has a goal of surpassing $100 million in giving by 2030. Many of you take supplements already. Switch to Nutrametics. It's the highest quality, and they donate 50% of their profits. Get 15% off by $1,000.

using the code Eric during checkout, go to Nutrametics.com and search health bundles, support your health while helping others in need. Go to Nutrametics. That's N-U-T-R-A-M-E-D-I-X.com. Neutrametics.com, use the code Eric for 15% off. Again, Neutrametics, N-U-T-R-A-M-E-D-I-X.com. Nutrametics.com, use the code Eric for 15% off. Are your kids heading off to college while you're in luck? Because my pillow is bringing back the $25-dollar extravaganza.

Mike Lindell and his dedicated employees have been part of cancel culture, so they want to pass the savings directly on to you. Two-pack multi-use my pillows, just $25. My-pillow sandals, $25. Beach towels, $25, you guessed it, just $25. Sheets and blankets starting at $25. Another amazing offer is on the My Mattress Mattress Topper for the college dorm beds. You know those beds aren't comfortable.

The Twin XL topper fits most college dorm beds and will help your kid get a great night's sleep. The My Pillo Topper comes in every bed size, and you can put it right on over your current mattress. Believe me, you'll feel the difference. It provides the best support. For a limited time, you can get one for as low as $6999. These amazing offers won't last long order now.

Just go to MyPillow.com. Use promo code Eric or call 800-9783057, 8057, 800-9783057, 800-9783057 or Mypillow.com promo code Eric. Hey, folks, it's Eric from Texas show. I'm talking to Robert Leon Davis. He was a fugitive from the law for 22 years living in the woods. He was a cop who became a bad cop. We were at that part in the story.

The book is titled Running, Scared. Robert, you go by Robert or Robert Leon? No, but I'm saying, but if I'm talking to you, do I say Robert or Robert Leon? Oh, you say Robert. I just say Robert. I just want to be clear. Okay, now, Robert, listen. So you are now facing going to jail for what you did.

What's that? 30 years. Okay, you're 50 years. Now, what did they get you on? What had you done? So this is something you had been doing for years? Oh, yes, sir. Okay, and so many others have been doing the same thing.

So this is cops pull somebody over. It's an attractive woman. They decide I'm going to trade sex for, I mean, this is like right out of, you know, movies. It's just a nightmare to hear this happen in the United States of America. You're facing 30 years and you know you're going to die, so you decide to skip bail. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, you skipped the trial. I had a trial date coming up in December of 1979.

I remember dead in December. What does one do? Find yourself along to the U.S. Marshal Service, okay, because you're a cop. You know, you know, a little too much, you know? Think of anything. I said, well, you know, I got one of those tight and something, or I'm out of it. You know what I'm saying? You can't sell me the package.

The best way I can explain myself is, I'm not going to come to buy a car. You can't sell me one, if that makes any sense. I got you. You know, I got that type of personality. Either I'm sold or I'm not. Yeah. And I got sold on something that was crazy. And I said, but if anybody could do it, I could probably do it with my...

It's for me like the thing I could do. About in the forest, I begin to study. The reason I find this funny and fascinating and amazing is because people might assume you already knew that stuff. Is somebody making a movie out of this or not? Yeah, a couple of people, a couple of production companies that does voice. The interest in it, it finds it. The book, you know, it's been out for a while. Okay, the book is running scared.

But, I mean, this is just like the idea that now you're going to the library, you're a flight risk, but I guess they don't realize that. They don't think you're going to disappear. And you're studying up and how to live off the land. And you're thinking this is my only way to survive. Otherwise, I'm dead. This is so fascinating. The book is running scared.

be right back. I got to ask you, Chris, did you homeschool your kids, any of them? Yeah. In fact, we kicked it off this week. It was like a back-to-school week. Well, if you're interested in homeschooling or if you're interested in quality K-12 Christ-centered education, we want you to know about our friends at the Herzog Foundation. They are there to help you educate your kids and grandkids in a way that will prevent them from becoming Marxist maniacs. Honestly, this is very important. Everywhere I go around the country, I meet kids that have had this kind of education,

and they are just head and shoulders above anybody else. So I recommend it highly. Go to HerzogFoundation.com, and they have a website, read lion, R-A-D, readlion.com. Readlion.com. HertzogFoundation.com. Actually, we should also mention our friends at the Heritage Foundation. And they are the ones.

In case he didn't know, you keep hearing about Project 2025, which is awesome. Project 2025, you can find it at 25truth.com. The Kamala Marxist left has been demonizing the Project 2020. Yeah, I think they got scared because they were identifying like – Because they're going to jail. Well, identifying qualified people that could help jump in with the Trump administration when they need to hire. You know, you hear about the administration. They're looking to staff up for programs or doing.

Yeah. And this is a way to kind of help. And they're not interested in hiring Mike Pence. Right. So who are they going to hire? Well, there's other people. So these guys are helping to find those people in advance, which really saves a lot of time. So 25truth.com is the website.

That's the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. There is great stuff on there. It was on a thread on Twitter some weeks ago that was hilarious stuff. But, you know, how to take our country back to, you know, the founder's vision. So 25truth.com is the website that's the Heritage Foundation. And Donald Trump does not endorse this message. It's actually very exciting, very exciting. There's a revolution happening right above our heads.

It's about to make silver more precious than ever. The sun's power is taking over the world. It's growing so fast it'll be the biggest source of electricity by the 2030s. Solar. Here's the kicker. Every single solar panel needs silver to work. We're talking about a silver-paced web in every panel. turning sunlight into power.

Smart investors are already making their move, and that's where Noble Gold Investments comes in. With the silver IRA, you can surf this incredible wave of growth. It doesn't matter who sits in the White House or what Wall Street does. Solar power is unstoppable, and silver is its secret weapon. As the world goes green, your retirement could be going sterling silver. Don't let this opportunity slip through your fingers in 2024. Visit nobelgoldinvestments.com.

You may get up to 10 free, brand new, one-ounce. silver trump coins or a 10 ounce silver American flag bar with every qualifying IRA. That's noble gold investments.com. Talking to Robert Leon Davis, the book is Running Scared. One of the most fascinating stories, do not miss this. Before we go back to talking to Robert Leon Davis about running scared, I want to remind you, if you go to Metaxusforhillsdale.com, they have a free college course on how to kill and dress out an animal in the woods.

Just kidding. No, they have a free college course on the Constitution. If you want to know about the Constitution, you cannot do better than to go to Hillsdale. Hillsdale, they're the experts on the Constitution. This is a free online college course on Constitution 101. Many Americans, most Americans at this point, are woefully ignorant. You know I talk about this all the time.

If you are interested in doing something productive with your summer, it's not going to take your whole summer, but this is free for you. Go to Metaxusforhillsdale.com. Metaxusforhillsdale.com. Check this out. And now I return to my conversation. Couldn't be more fascinating.

Robert Leon Davis, really, you are funny. Because when you're talking to me about studying these books and stuff, this is like out of a movie. Who would do this? I mean, it's one thing to say, I'm scared and you run. And then you figure it out as you go along. No. You have this obsessive personality. now you're studying like for that's the word obsessive obsessive it's amazing it's amazing okay so you're

studying all these books you're obviously very smart and and you're doing this thing okay at what point do you say I'm ready to go and what do you do when you when you skip out what do you where you go well I went straight to Canada and I did some research and I had to go through a whole system of getting out here because I was being working itself about how I was able to get out the minutes later, probably. I mean, this is just, I can't even tell you how fascinating I find this. I knew I would, but you must have been scared to death on those five days. I talk about it in my book, first night as I'm sleeping in my time.

Wait a second, wait a second. You're talking about this is once you get into Canada? But I'm talking about before that, I'm five days you're jumping from bus to bus. They're obviously looking for you. somebody's looking for you because you're already. Yeah, they're looking. I'm actually having some moment. Get into this paranoid thing where even though you're in a different city,

if somebody look at you at a certain way, sometimes it's not good to be too intellect. In other words, if you know what I'm saying? In other words, the way that he's moving and the way that he's moving, I'm thinking, well, maybe this is to arrest me, and they know where I'm at. You know what I'm trying to say? It's almost like a, it's almost like a, sometimes it's the worst thing to be

is a doctor and you get an ailment. You know what I'm saying? Yes. I was going to say, if you're stupid, you wouldn't even notice these people, but you wouldn't even notice it. You notice. So you're, but I mean, the idea that you're taking five days to get to the Canadian border and that those five days, you don't know what's going to come at you.

You have no idea. No, the only thing I know is, not that Canada didn't have extradition treated, they still have one. They had one. And they're not used to see. strange black men walking around in the woods either up in Canada. That's my point. That's a good point.

And that's why I had to go deep into the woods. I mean, like, miles deep in the woods, you know, just out by myself. And I actually thought that that's what I would probably die at. Did you ever see Bigfoot? No, man. Somebody called me up from a Bigfoot show and tried, they tried their best to get me the lie. Come on. I'm like, man, I'm not telling you no lie.

I like that. You know, it's funny because I don't believe in Bigfoot. If there was a Bigfoot, I should have met him. Well, I do believe in Bigfoot, and I think Bigfoot's smart enough to stay away from you. That's what I think. But anyway, okay, so you are wandering in the woods there. You were just saying that when you just got over the border into Canada, you said you weren't even sleeping. You're taking catnaps.

Why are you doing that? Why? Why wouldn't you just walk 20 miles into the woods and get a good night's sleep? Well, went up at the camp. You're eight, nine miles deep in the woods You're sleeping You're getting ready to go to sleep Now you've read all this down pack

But I haven't put it into play Book couldn't tell me how the forest Would look at night When it was looking pretty in the daytime It didn't tell me that And I'm petrified I'm hearing sounds that I don't hear in New Orleans Picture this

Picture this Picture the kind of things that they got there That we don't have here They got wolver rings They got Wolverines pound for pound of the most frightening mammal on planet Earth. We're going to be right back, folks. The book is Running Scared by Robert Leon Davis. Stick around.

Hey there, folks. It's Eric McAxas show. I'm talking to Robert Leon Davis. Before he escaped into the woods of Canada, he must have been familiar with Casey and the Sunshine Band. I hope so. I cannot believe your story. It gets funnier and funnier. This is a black man in the woods of Canada.

It gets dark. starting to think about Wolverines. Well, here's the thing. As I was saying to you, now keep in mind, I was giving an example of Petcherful sleeping in my sleeping bag. Something touched. You know what? That's better than where are my glasses

there on the top of my head. Yeah, that's petrified. And keep in mind now before we end this, keep in mind, I'm an atheist by now. At this point, at this point, you can't pray to God protect me from the Wolverines and my left leg. The devil put me in a position like this. Everything grandma told me is out the window.

My soul, okay, everything, if I can't see it, touch you off in the beginning. I didn't expect you to bring him up. Usually formerly corrupt cops from New Orleans do not bring up Victor Frankel, just in case you're wondering about that. But yeah, that's one of the great books. That's one of the great books. I'm very familiar with that off, and I realize that what I experienced, I'm not equating that.

You know what I'm saying. Yeah. But what I'm saying is that essentially was our experience was what he was experienced. I became used of it. But I mean, people are wondering what the heck, what are you doing alone in the woods? Once you made peace with your left leg and you're able to sleep through the night, I mean, now I got to ask you, Robert, are you able to stay to do part two on this? Because we haven't scratched the surface. Okay, so, all right, so this is, we're coming to the end of part one here.

But so you mean to tell me that, you know, when you said I'm going to be in the woods these years, what do you expect? What do you do with your days? I guess you become like a hunter. I had days like you would have. I had days where I called watching TV where I would climb like a 15 feet spruce of a green tree. I take the belt of the tree and stay there for hours looking at how animals hunt each other, how they communicated with each. I think that's way better than the TV. that we have today because there's far less cursing, far less cursing with the frolicking animals.

Four generations of birds. All right, we got it. We got to end. This is the end of part one. Ladies and gentlemen, you're listening to Robert Leon Davis talking about his book, Running Scared. What an amazing story. It's the Eric Mattaxas show. We will be back with Part 2.

Thanks for listening.