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Patrolman

Guy Thomas Davis Jr.

North Carolina Highway Patrol — Raleigh, NC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 2, 1975

Age 49

Tour of Duty 29 yrs

The Vigil Panel 254 · Column 2 · Line 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Also Remembered Department 68

Incident

Patrolman Guy Davis was shot and killed in Williamston when he stopped a vehicle he observed run a red light at the intersection of U.S. 17 and U.S. 64. Unbeknownst to him, the vehicle contained three suspects, two men and a woman, who had just robbed a bank in Jamesville. Marin County had not yet notified the Highway Patrol of the robbery or a description of the suspects. When Patrolman Davis leaned down to speak with the driver, he was shot in the face with a sawed-off shotgun. A doctor who witnessed the shooting and a responding Williamston officer attempted to save Patrolman Davis' life, but he died within minutes of the shooting. The three suspects fled but were later apprehended after a manhunt with hundreds of state patrolmen. They were located nearby, hiding in a bean field, after a highway patrol helicopter happened to land near them by chance. The chopper's rotor wash blew the bean plants aside, revealing the suspect's location, and they were taken into custody. The three suspects were sentenced to life in prison on June 30, 1977. One of the male suspects died in prison on January 4, 2001. The female suspect, who was to be released from prison on October 29, 2009, had her release blocked by Governor Beverly Purdue. She died in prison on May 5, 2020. The other male suspect, 21, who was the shooter, remains in prison and is not being considered for parole. He was still in jail on September 17, 2023. Patrolman Davis was a U.S Army veteran of the Korean War and served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 29 years, assigned to the Bertie County District. He was survived by his wife and two children. As a result of the murder of Patrolman Davis and a similar murder of Trooper Peterson in 1979, communication protocols were changed statewide, and local authorities, along with the NC Highway Patrol, made better efforts to immediately cross-communicate in the event of serious crimes and attacks on officers. In 2004, the North Carolina Department of Transportat

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Guy is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Davis gave the North Carolina Highway Patrol 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department North Carolina Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Raleigh, NC

Platform Identity nchp.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 2, 1975

Tour of Duty 29 yrs

Age 49

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Guy Thomas Davis Jr. served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Guy is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1975, 163 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 21st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Guy was 49. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Guy had served 29 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded