A Palo Alto High School graduate and police officer who was gunned down while chasing an armed drug suspect in East Palo Alto 30 years ago will be honored during an “end of watch” ceremony on Friday, June 22.
Joel Michael Davis, who graduated from Paly in 1979 and went on to serve for Palo Alto’s neighboring city, was 26 years old when he was shot and killed during a foot pursuit of a gun-wielding suspect.
Davis had served with East Palo Alto police as a full-time officer for six months. He was previously a reserve officer for three years with the department. He previously worked with computers at Hewlett-Packard Company and served as a reserve deputy with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, according to the online Officer Down Memorial Page and the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation. He had responded as backup to other officers after a call came in.
The suspect jumped a fence and waited. When Davis came over the fence, an armed man shot him in the shoulder. The man then shot Davis in the head before fleeing. He was the first officer to die in the line of duty in East Palo Alto, according to the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Foundation. His memorial in 1988 prompted a 5-mile-long funeral procession of patrol cars through Palo Alto and Los Altos, according to a story on the website.
The suspect, Ronald Price, was eventually arrested and was and sentenced to life in prison. The city of East Palo Alto dedicated a new park to Davis in August 2002.
The anniversary gathering will take place at 11 a.m. at Joel Davis Park, 1960 Tate St., East Palo Alto. Light refreshments will follow the memorial. The event is open to all members of the public.
On Friday around 11:15 a.m., San Mateo County dispatchers recounted the events leading up to Davis’ death over dispatch radio.
At about 1 a.m. on June 22, 1988, Davis responded to a report of an armed robbery at Mickey’s Liquor on Bay Road where he saw the armed man flee the scene, a dispatcher said. The suspect led a short foot pursuit and once Davis caught up the man, a violent struggle ensued.
Davis managed to get part of a handcuff on the armed man, who was able to break free and eventually shot the officer, who was struck once in the shoulder and once in the head, the dispatcher said. The suspect was arrested four days later and sentenced to life in prison.
Dispatchers held a 15-second moment of radio silence in remembrance of Davis.
Watch East Palo Alto police ceremony held in Davis’ memory here.
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