Thomas D. Davis, Jr.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction — Columbus, OH

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch June 26, 1992

Age 47

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 138 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 25

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: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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

Department Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

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; Shank

Offender Sentenced to 12 to 15 years

Military Service

Thomas D. Davis, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Correction Officer Thomas D. Davis, Jr. 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 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 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

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

of 26 officers

69.2% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious