LUBBOCK, Texas — It’s been 40 years since a local Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was killed in the line of duty.
Jerry Don Davis is being honored by the same department he worked very hard for.
“I’ve had years to think about it, just like everybody else who was involved in it,” said Gary Morrison, a friend of Davis. “We couldn’t stop thinking about it for years.”
Davis was just 25-years-old when he was shot and killed during a traffic stop on October 5, 1980.
“It’s been nearly 40 years, it’s unbelievable, unbelievable it could be 40 years,” Morrison said.
Davis served with Morrison as a police officer at Slaton Police Department before becoming a DPS trooper, which was a lifelong dream of his.
“Jerry Don Davis made the ultimate sacrifice to the state of Texas, to the people of Texas, defending them, up to his life,” Morrison said. “He’s been one of my greatest heroes, and I’m grateful to know one of my heroes.”
There will be a dedication ceremony, as well as the unveiling of the highway sign at the Slaton High School gym, Thursday at 10 a.m.
