Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief Davis was shot and killed by the brother of a man who Chief Davis had shot and killed months earlier. Chief Davis was in a grocery store when the suspect shot him in the back.
The suspect was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced on May 14, 1934, to 18 years in prison. He was paroled July 8, 1939.
Chief Davis had served with the agency for 3 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and 11 children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-041793C8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Davis gave the Ansted Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ansted community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Davis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Joseph Wilson Davis is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 18.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Wilson Davis's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph Wilson Davis Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Wilson Davis is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.