Roll of Honor
Prev Next
David C. Knapps
Agency patch
Corrections Captain

David C. Knapps

Louisiana Department of Corrections — Baton Rouge, LA
Veteran → Felonious
United States flag Louisiana flag
End of Watch December 28, 1999
Age 49
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
The Vigil Panel 146 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 11

Incident

Corrections Captain David Knapps was killed after being bludgeoned with a hammer during a prison uprising at a Louisiana State Prison in Angola.

He and two other guards had been taken hostage by a small group of inmates. The inmates demanded Captain Knapps' jail keys, and when he refused to hand them over the inmates beat him with the hammer. One inmate, who charged rescuers with a knife, was shot and killed when a rescue team stormed the room.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-LA-C61D1B99
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew David. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw. One record, 2 gates. David is one person.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corrections Captain Knapps gave the Louisiana Department of Corrections 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Louisiana. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Captain Knapps.

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

Agency

Department Louisiana Department of Corrections
Type Corrections
Location Baton Rouge, LA
Platform Identity ldcorr.ebr.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 28, 1999
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

David C. Knapps served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Corrections Captain David C. Knapps is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In LA, 364 of 595 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.2% of this state's fallen. That is 61.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Louisiana Department of Corrections, 8 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Louisiana Department of Corrections
8
of 12 officers
66.7% Felonious
LA — Statewide
364
of 595 officers
61.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David C. Knapps's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How David C. Knapps Compares

Age at Death
49
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
12
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. David C. Knapps is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Military Service

David C. Knapps served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit David C. Knapps’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.