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Police Officer

Gordon R. Davis

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Accident
United States flag Michigan flag
End of Watch July 15, 1918
Age 28
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo
The Vigil Panel 78 · Column 3 · Line 21 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 249

Incident

Officer Davis was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow officer in a case of mistaken identity at the intersection of Wilkins Street and Dequindre Street. Officer Davis and his partner were notified of a vehicle that fled the scene of a hit-and-run near the intersection of Gratiot Avenue and Mack Avenue. Officer Davis and his partner saw the wanted vehicle and commandeered a vehicle in pursuit of them. Both officers ordered the driver of the commandeered vehicle to stop when they lost the wanted vehicle as it drove past railroad gates as they were being lowered for an oncoming train. A police vehicle was following close behind them and mistook the commandeered vehicle as the getaway vehicle. An officer in the police vehicle shot at Officer Davis and his partner as they stepped off the running boards of the commandeered vehicle thinking they were attempting to escape, striking officer Davis in the stomach. Officer Davis was taken to Receiving Hospital where he died from his wound an hour later. Officer Davis had served with the Detroit Police Department for less than 2 years and was assigned to the Hunt Street Station.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Police Officer Davis gave the Detroit Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Davis.

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

Agency

Department Detroit Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Detroit, Wayne County, MI
Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 15, 1918
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo
Age 28
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Gordon is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1918, 39 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 108th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Gordon was 28. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Gordon had served 1.7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Detroit Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Gordon among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Gordon R. Davis

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch July 15, 1918

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 3-W

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