Michael David Davis, Sr.

Riverside County Sheriff's Department — Riverside, CA

Accident

End of Watch October 24, 1988

Age 34

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 133 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 26

Incident

Investigator Michael Davis was killed in a helicopter accident while working on a multi-agency narcotics task force along the United States border. A suspicious vehicle was spotted in a canyon on a remote access road in the Mountain Springs Grade area. The UH-1H helicopter began to descend when its rotor blades struck power lines and caused it to crash in the foothills of the Laguna Mountains. Also killed in the accident were Deputy Roy Chester of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Sheriff James McSweeney of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Sergeant Richard Romero of the Imperial County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Mark Tonkin of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the three California National Guard crew members operating the flight. Investigator Davis had served with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for nine years. He was survived by his wife, four sons, a daughter, parents, and siblings. One of Investigator Davis' sons, Investigator Michael Davis Jr., was shot and killed in the line of duty on October 24th, 2014, while serving with the Placer County Sheriff's Department. Their line-of-duty deaths occurred exactly 26 years apart to the day.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four sons, a daughter, parents, and siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-313D2239
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.
Investigator Davis gave the Riverside County Sheriff's Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Riverside community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Davis.

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

Agency

Department Riverside County Sheriff's Department

Location Riverside, CA

Platform Identity rcso.riverside.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 24, 1988

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Investigator Michael David Davis, Sr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Riverside County Sheriff's Department, 12 of 27 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 44.4% of this agency's fallen.

Riverside County Sheriff's Department

of 27 officers

44.4% Accident

CA — Statewide

719

of 1,837 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident