MIAMI – A family wants answers after a 41-year-old woman — who had reported suffering from extreme stress while working at the Miami Police Department — left her office in an ambulance and died.
Chief Manuel A. Morales said Nicole Clark-Davis, who was a “dear family member” and a supervisor for the department’s property unit, died on Wednesday of a heart attack at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
“She was working when fire rescue was called because she was feeling ill,” Morales said.
Clark-Davis’s husband and daughter were with her when she collapsed at work and the paramedics arrived, according to Janiyah Kennedy, her 22-year-old daughter.
Amid her grief Thursday, Kennedy said her mother had called family asking for support during a difficult conflict with a supervisor at the downtown Miami police station.
Kennedy said her mother’s relationship with her higher-ups has to be looked into for there to be a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her sudden death.
Clark-Davis’s unit was charged with handling personal property that had been seized during an investigation and was then stored at the department’s central station at 400 NW 2 Ave.
In a public statement, Morales praised Clark-Davis’s positive attitude, dedication, and professionalism during her service as a civilian employee. He later said he was not certain about the facts surrounding her death.
Morales made a promise: “If there is anything to be looked at, we will absolutely get to the bottom of it.”
Clark-Davis, a Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School graduate and regular churchgoer, was an avid fan of the Miami Heat and the Miami Dolphins. She was also a supporter of The White Dress Project, a nonprofit organization that focuses on funding uterine fibroids research.
Below is statement released Friday by the police chief:
“The untimely passing of Ms. Nicole Clark has grievously afflicted the men and women of the Miami Police Department with great sadness.
Ms. Clark was a very pleasant individual and beloved by all members of the Department who had the fortune of meeting her.
Regrettably, during this exceedingly difficult time for her family, as well as the members of the Department, a deceptive narrative has been circulating on social media platforms that pertain to the circumstances surrounding Ms. Clark’s passing.
A preliminary review of the facts has revealed that Ms. Clark met with her supervisors to provide some clarifications on a performance appraisal report she submitted regarding a subordinate employee. This meeting took place approximately an hour and a half prior to the onset of the symptoms of Ms. Clark’s medical emergency which appears to be related to a pre-existing condition.
As we continue to support the family and honor Ms. Clark’s memory and her legacy at the Miami Police Department, we politely request that the family’s privacy be respected.”