Longtime Carthage police officer dead at 54

Captain Kevin Davis, a veteran of more than 30 years with the Carthage Police Department, and a Carthage native, died Saturday at age 54 after a five-month battle with cancer:

Police Chief Dennis Veach, who is leaving his post later this week for a position in Sachse, Texas, a community north of Dallas, worked nine years with Davis.

“Kevin really cared about Carthage and the people who lived there. That was his whole life,” Veach said. “He really cared about the local police presence and really cared about his town.”

Veach said Davis was skilled as a hostage negotiator.

“I worked with him on a half-dozen of those things over the years,” he said. “They were mostly attempted suicides. Wow, was he good at it. I specifically know people whose lives he saved. He talked them out of it.

“He had great compassion and patience with people in those kinds of situations.”

Capt. Davis was a true professional, who was always available to the public, and as I remember well from my Carthage Press days, to the media. He will be missed.