Joel Michael Davis, 26, was fatally shot on June 22, 1988, during a foot pursuit in East Palo Alto, California. He had gone in as backup on a call about a suspect with a gun. During the chase the suspect jumped a fence and waited on the other side; as Officer Davis attempted to climb over, the suspect shot him in the shoulder and then in the head. The suspect fled but was later captured after an extensive manhunt and was convicted and sentenced to life without parole in 1991.

Davis had been a full-time East Palo Alto police officer for six months at the time of his death. Before that he served three years as a reserve officer with East Palo Alto and as a reserve deputy with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department. His memorial was attended by more than 1,500 officers and hundreds of friends and relatives, and a city park was renamed Joel Davis Park in August 2002.

If anyone knew Officer Davis or has information about his time on the force or the community he served, please share what you remember.