Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant James Davis died during a rescue of a stranded surfer. Lieutenant Davis and three other members of the Ocean Shores Police Surf Rescue Team had gone out in the 10 to 12-foot swells in two separate boats. His inflatable boat capsized, and both occupants were thrown into the water. He was brought ashore by the US Coast Guard but was not breathing. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. All of the other people involved were rescued. Lieutenant Davis had served with the Ocean Shores Police Department for 18 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and five children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WA-BC942DEF- 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.
Lieutenant Davis gave the Ocean Shores Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ocean Shores community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Davis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant James LaDow Davis 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 WA, 111 of 339 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.7% of this state's fallen. That is 1.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James LaDow Davis's cause is highlighted.
How James LaDow Davis Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James LaDow Davis is highlighted in Apr.