END OF WATCH:Â October 18, 1960
Cuyahoga County Sherriff’s Office
At about 4:50 AM on the morning of October 18, 1960, Deputy David C Willis, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department was walking to his car that was parked on West 2nd adjacent to 75 Public Square in downtown Cleveland. A woman had informed a police car that was passing by that she heard an exchange of gunfire in the area where Willis had parked his car. The officer’s responded and found Deputy Willis face down in the street, with a small caliber pistol clutched in his right hand. Several other people in the vicinity advised they heard tires screeching and observed a young male run away and disappear behind the Old Stone Church. Willis was transported to St. Vincent Charity hospital where he passed. Deputy Willis died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Two days later Deputy Willis’s car was located on E. 31st Street. It was later discovered that the gun Willis was holding, when he was found in the street, had been fired, indicating that Deputy Willis had taken police action to stop the carjacking of his vehicle. Deputy Willis was 31 years old and had been a deputy for 5 years. To this date no one has been arrested for his death.
