Police officers carry the body of Major Sorffly Davius into the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn on March 27, 2026 for his funeral service.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Major Sorffly Davius, the NYPD officer and New York Army National Guard major who died on March 6 while deployed in Kuwait, was mourned Friday as a devoted husband, father of six and public servant who spent his life protecting others.
At the funeral in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Attorney General Letitia James joined grieving relatives, officers and National Guard members in honoring Davius’ life and service. The day before, Hochul ordered flags on state buildings flown at half-staff on March 27 in his memory.
Reading the obituary, Davius’ brother-in-law, Lewis Mitchell, said Davius “dedicated his life to protecting and serving others” through military service, emergency medicine and law enforcement. Born in Haiti and raised in Cambria Heights, Queens, Davius began his public-service career as an FDNY EMT.
He joined the New York Air National Guard in 2004 and later deployed to Kuwait from October 2010 to July 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2013, he transferred to the New York Army National Guard, and the following year, he joined the NYPD, where he was assigned to the 79th Precinct in Brooklyn.
A mourner views the body of Major Sorffly Davius at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn on March 27, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Before his final overseas deployment, he had been on military leave from the department while serving on state active duty with Joint Task Force Empire Shield, the National Guard mission that works with law enforcement to protect major infrastructure and transit sites in New York City.
Davius died March 6 at Camp Buehring in Kuwait in a non-combat incident while serving with the 42nd Infantry Division, according to military officials. During that deployment, he served as a deputy G-6 and data systems engineer, helping oversee communications and operations.
Davius was ‘a peacemaker’ called to serve country
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James attend the funeral service for Major Sorffly Davius.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Tisch, speaking on behalf of the NYPD, called Davius “a peacemaker” whose life was marked by heroism and service. She traced his career from EMT to rescue paramedic, describing a man who stayed calm under pressure and later brought that same steadiness to military and police work. She said that despite the many uniforms he wore, the role at the center of his life was being a husband and father.
Family members also offered a portrait of Davius away from his uniforms. In remarks read during the service, his daughter Ava remembered his summer weekend barbecues and said he treated his nieces and nephews like his own children.
His siblings said he had a way of making each person feel like they were his favorite, while his brother Christopher recalled that Davius pushed him to improve his grades, taught him to drive in a stick-shift Volkswagen Jetta and cheered milestones, including his graduation from physical therapy school and finishing a marathon.
Gov. Hochul told mourners that Davius embodied the idea of a citizen-soldier and said his life was defined by service. “He didn’t come to this country to be served,” she said of his journey from Haiti to New York. “He came to this country to serve.”
Mayor Mamdani said Davius had set an example not only for his children, but for the entire city. He described Davius’ life as “a model” of service, protection, kindness, and love, and pointed to family recollections that Davius could make a new friend in “two seconds.”
Capt. Christopher Schwenk of the New York Army National Guard described the “profound honor” of escorting Davius’ body home to the United States after his death in Kuwait. Schwenk said Davius had been more than a superior officer, describing him as a mentor and friend whose leadership changed the people around him. “His loss is deeply painful, but his legacy remains,” he said. “It remains in his family, who knew and loved him best. It remains in the soldiers and leaders he invested in.”
A Bronze Star Medal was presented posthumously during the service for “exceptionally meritorious service” while serving as a deputy G-6, and for his leadership and technical expertise, which contributed to mission success and helped raise morale and readiness.
The widow of Major Sorffly Davius receives the American flag that draped his coffin.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell