David C. Knapps

Louisiana Department of Corrections — Baton Rouge, LA

Felonious

End of Watch December 28, 1999

Age 49

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 146 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice 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: 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.
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

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

Corrections Captain David C. Knapps 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 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 7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

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

of 12 officers

66.7% Felonious

LA — Statewide

364

of 595 officers

61.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious