Ritchie Bill Honoring Fallen New York State Trooper Joel Davis Passes Senate

State Senator Patty Ritchie is announcing her legislation to honor fallen New York State Trooper Joel Davis, by naming a bridge in his honor, unanimously passed the State Senate Monday.

Under the measure, the bridge over the Indian River on State Route 26 in the Village of Theresa would be renamed the “New York State Trooper Joel R. Davis Memorial Bridge”.  Last July, Trooper Davis lost his life while responding to a call for help in Theresa.

“The North Country—and New York State—will never forget the selfless ways in which Trooper Joel Davis served his community, putting the safety of others ahead of his own,” said Senator Ritchie.

“His work to protect his community was matched by his efforts to make it better as a husband, father, son, youth sports coach and so much more.  In naming this bridge in his honor, we are ensuring his heroic sacrifice, and the memory of the man he was, will never be forgotten.”

“Our community will be forever grateful for Trooper Joel Davis. He was a dedicated officer, community leader, father, family member, neighbor, coach and friend who touched many lives. We could not be more proud to have this bridge named after him and help everyone who crosses it remember who Joel Davis was and understand what he represented. I would like to thank Senator Ritchie for helping make this all possible,” said Village of Theresa Mayor Jonathan Walker, who reached out to the Senator last summer for help in naming the bridge after Trooper Davis.

Prior to becoming a member of the New York State Police in 2013, Trooper Davis served as a member of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department for ten years.  He was an active member of his community, who devoted time to youth sports programs in the region. In December, Trooper Davis was honored by the New York State Police as the “Troop D Trooper of the Year”.

The bill was delivered to the Assembly.