A Father and Son Were Killed in the Line of Duty on the Same Day 26 Years Apart
In 2015, the stories of the Davis family and a 10-year-old girl named Savannah Solis were important and much needed reminders at a troubling time of law enforcement's worth to our nation.
(l to r) Michael Davis Jr., Michael Davis Sr. and Danny Oliver
McLean, VA (May 6, 2025) - Following the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the many months leading up to National Police Week in 2015 were filled with a troubling amount of anti-cop sentiment—and charges of racial bias in policing. So, I decided to hit the issue head on during my speech at the 2015 Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. I told the story of Michael Davis Jr., a detective with the Placer County (CA) Sheriff’s Office. During a massive manhunt for the fugitive who had ambushed and murdered on of his colleagues, Sacramento County (CA) Deputy Danny Oliver, Detective Davis was shot and killed on October 24, 2014. The tragedy was compounded for his family by the fact that Michael’s father, Riverside County (CA) Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Davis Sr., had also died in the performance of duty. He was killed in a helicopter crash while conducting an anti-drug smuggling operation. The date was October 24, 1988—exactly 26 years to the day of Michael Jr.’s death. The Davis family’s sacrifice and the sacrifice made by the thousands of others honored on the National Memorial, I said, were clear evidence that no profession is more committed to the basic principle that “All Lives Matter.” I closed with the story of Savannah Solis, a 10-year-old girl from Texas, who wrote hundreds of thank you cards to police officers across the country. Her message was heartfelt, but simple: “I just want to say thank you for taking care of us every day. You are my hero.” Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/a-father-and-son-were-killed-in-the?r=1czbfs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
