Detective Davis’s sacrifice during the pandemic honored at Police Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCTV) - While many of us quarantined at home during the pandemic, people like doctors and nurses could not.

This group bravely continued working, knowing the dangers of COVID-19.

The same goes for law enforcement.

But as WCTV’s Abby Walton shares, many of those men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice while trying to keep us safe.

Out of the 611 names being honored Friday night at the law enforcement memorial wall, more than 400 died from COVID-19.

In Georgia, 43 of the 51 fallen, died from the virus.

That includes a detective from Waycross, Georgia, described by his coworkers as leaving “sunshine everywhere he went.”

“You would think Detective Davis, his number one priority in life, seemed to be, to me, was to put smiles on other people’s faces,” Waycross Police Chief Tommy Cox said.

For almost 17-years, Detective Rodny Davis worked for the Waycross Police Department.

Detective Davis tried to keep the small city he was raised in safe.

“With me being the new detective, a lot of people were kind of hesitant to speak with me. But as soon as they saw Rodney, they were like ‘this is what happened, this is who did it,’ and we’d get out of the truck and case solved just because it was Rodney,” Waycross Police Detective James Blount said.

Detective Davis’s sense of duty continued throughout the pandemic.

He worked cases, knowing an invisible threat existed everywhere he went.

“We didn’t have that option to stay home or actually sit in the office. We still had to make contact with people. Crime never stops,” Waycross Sergeant of Criminal Investigations Joshaun Baker said.

The police department said it believes Detective Davis contracted COVID-19 while answering a call with known cases.

Less than two weeks later, he tested positive for the virus.

Days after, on August 20, 2021, Detective Davis died from COVID-19.

He was 54 years old.

“It’s just left a huge hole. Not just in the office, but in our hearts, because we’re a family up there,” Waycross Police Stenographer Sandra Aldrige said.

The Waycross Police detectives are housed just a few streets down from the police department.

Their office is close quarters.

The absence of Detective Davis is still very much felt almost nine months later.

“Everybody has their own spot that they sit at the table. And I sit at one end, and he always sat at the other end,” Waycross Captain of Criminal Investigations Gregory Young said.

That chair still remains open during briefings.

His cubicle remained empty until recently.

Sergeant Baker moved in, honoring Detective Davis with an angel decal right outside her office window.

“I think more so him being a good detective, he was a good person,” Waycross Lieutenant of the Criminal Investigations Unit Chase DeLouch said.

Detective Farrina Kinlaw said she’s known Detective Davis cine they were kids.

“He was all about doing what was right. He was big on helping his family members. He loved his family,” Detective Kinlaw said.

The department said learning his name would go on the national memorial wall in D.C. brought them to tears.

“We have each other’s six. That’s what they call it. But we have each other’s back. And to know that one of our people is going to be honored this way, wow. It’s awesome,” Aldrige said.

Captain Young said after his death, the department retired Davis’s detective number “404″ as a tribute to him and his service to the department.

Detective Rodney Davis is survived by his mother, three daughters, three sons, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

To watch tonight’s annual candlelight vigil in Washington, D.C., you can visit this link.

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