By Craig Fox
Watertown Daily Times
EVANS MILLS, N.Y. — Trooper Joel R. Davis was unable to finish building a tree house for his daughter before he was killed in the line of duty on July 9.
But a group of area law enforcement officers came together and joined forces this past week to make sure Trooper Davis’ project got done for his youngest child, 13-year-old Jaila.
State police spokesman Jack Keller said that 35 active and retired officers from the state police, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Watertown Police Department spent a day in the family’s backyard to finish the enclosed wooden tree fort for the trooper’s youngest child. Many of the officers were his friends.
The state trooper and father of three died while responding to a domestic incident at a Theresa home.
The tree fort is nestled among tall trees and features a ladder that leads to a deck, windows and a string of lights. A “Blue Lives Matter” flag is prominently displayed, hanging from a front railing.
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After it was built, Jaila climbed the ladder and up to the deck to check out her new playhouse, Trooper Keller said.
Trooper Davis, a veteran law enforcement officer, was a member of the state police for the past four years. Most recently, he was based at the state police station in Philadelphia. Before joining the state police, he worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department for nearly 10 years.
Justin Walters, a Fort Drum soldier, is accused of shooting his wife, Nichole Walters, and Trooper Davis. Walters, charged with first- and second-degree murder, is being held without bail at the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building jail.
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©2017 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.)