Thomas D. Davis Jr.
Agency patch
Correction Officer

Thomas D. Davis Jr.

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch June 26, 1992
Age 47
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
The Vigil Panel 138 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Correction Officer Tommy Davis was stabbed to death by an inmate who snuck up behind him and stabbed him in the back with a homemade knife at the Mansfield Correctional Institution. Officer Davis was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds early the next morning. The 32-year-old inmate was a member of the Aryan Nation serving a life sentence for a murder conviction in 1980. He was only convicted of felony assault for Officer Davis' murder and received an additional 12 to 15 years. He has a parole hearing in September of 2024. Officer Davis was a United States Navy Vietnam veteran and had served with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for nine years.

Survivors

He is survived by his two daughters and six siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-49CDA62A
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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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.
Correction Officer Davis gave the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus 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

Type Corrections
Location Columbus, OH
Platform Identity odrc.franklin.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 26, 1992
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Age 47
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon

Military Service

Thomas D. Davis Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Correction Officer Thomas D. 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 57.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, 18 of 26 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this agency's fallen.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
18
of 26 officers
69.2% Felonious
OH — Statewide
572
of 991 officers
57.7% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas D. Davis Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

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

How Thomas D. Davis Jr. Compares

Age at Death
47
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
9
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas D. Davis Jr. is highlighted in Jun.

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. Thomas D. Davis Jr. was killed by edged weapon.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Thomas D. Davis Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Thomas D. Davis Jr.’s page on salute.nw →

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