Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff John Davis was shot in the head in May of 1881 while he and a deputy collector were attempting to arrest a group of men wanted for the murder of a law enforcement officer and other crimes. Sheriff Davis received information about the location of the suspects and picked up the collector on his way to arrest them. When he entered the home where the men were, one of them shot the sheriff just under the eye and seriously wounded the collector before escaping. Sheriff Davis, who went on to become a prominent state politician, survived the shooting and lived with a bullet lodged in his brain for 17 years. There were no apparent effects until 1892 when he began having epileptic seizures. He died in 1898, a week after surgery to remove the bullet.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-2AED5601- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Davis served with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Greenville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff John Thomas 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 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. John Thomas Davis's cause is highlighted.
How John Thomas Davis Compares
Offender Outcome
Escaped
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Thomas Davis is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Thomas Davis was killed by handgun; revolver.