Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Ernest Wilson Davis Jr.

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch July 16, 1980

Age 33

Tour of Duty 4 yrs 2 mo

Badge 1628

The Vigil Panel 123 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 377

Incident

Police Officer Ernest Davis was shot and killed after responding to a call for a man with a gun at a restaurant at 3707 North Broad Street at approximately 3:35 am. He located the suspect in a van that was parked nearby. As he approached the van one of its occupants opened fire, mortally wounding him. He was able to return fire as the van fled the scene but did not strike the man. A detective who happened to be in the area arrested the subjects after discovering the van stopped nearby. The man who shot Officer Davis was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He died of natural causes while awaiting his execution on July 24th, 2010. Officer Davis was a U.S Air Force veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, 5-year-old son, and three siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-7F88337E
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. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Ernest 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.
Police Officer Davis gave the Philadelphia Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community, 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 Philadelphia Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 16, 1980

Tour of Duty 4 yrs 2 mo

Age 33

Badge Number 1628

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Ernest Wilson Davis Jr. served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Ernest Wilson Davis Jr. 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 47.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 162 of 378 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

162

of 378 officers

42.9% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious