‘A Cop’s Cop’ Memorial Honors Old-School Officer Who Knew, Helped People On His Beat

Officer Ken L. Davis, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver, was an old-school cop who knew and cared about the people on his beat, his boss said Tuesday during funeral services.

“He was a cop’s cop,” Police Chief Norman Stamper told more than 1,000 police officers, family members, friends and others who gathered at Calvary Temple to pay last respects to Davis.

“He has been taken from us suddenly and senselessly. … His life was stolen in an act that was selfish and cruel,” Stamper said.

According to Stamper, Davis had a saying he liked: “If you don’t want to run with the big dogs, stay up on the porch.”

“He ran with the big dogs his entire career,” Stamper said.

The chief said the 52-year-old Davis, who joined the force in 1966 after growing up in Seattle, would be remembered for his unflagging sense of humor, his unorthodox approach to golf and his search for the perfect steak - big, thick and raw.

But mostly, Stamper said, the husband and father of two sons would be remembered for the times he tried to help people.

An original member of the police department’s drunken-driving unit, Davis made more than 2,000 DWI arrests but tried to help offenders as much as ticket them, Stamper said.

“People would say ‘thank you for the ticket, Mr. Davis,”’ Stamper said. “He felt the need to take half of them home.”

Davis died May 11 when his car was struck by a sports car driven by a man fleeing a state trooper. The driver, Robert Duane Knowles, 28, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, reckless driving and driving under suspension. Bail was set at $1 million.

Davis went to Lincoln High School, where he played on a state championship basketball team and graduated in 1960. He attended Central Washington University and the University of Washington.

Davis had spent the past 12 years in the North Precinct and was going to retire in five years, his wife, Lereen, said.