Bio & Incident Details
Age: 60
Tour: 4 years
Badge # Not available
Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 5/16/1961
Weapon: Shotgun
Suspect: Shot and killed
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Sheriff Johnson was shot and killed after he and another deputy attempted to serve a warrant on a mentally ill man. Sheriff Johnson went into the home unarmed as the deputy waited in the car. After the sheriff failed to return the deputy approached the house and observed that the sheriff was in a struggle with the man. Sheriff Johnson freed himself from the struggle and the two officers took cover in a nearby barn as the suspect armed himself with a shotgun. As Sheriff Johnson attempted to make it to his car to obtain his revolver he was shot and killed by the suspect. The suspect fled in his vehicle.
Later that same day the suspect was shot and killed by lawmen near Ellsworth, Kansas. He lost control of his car and slid into a ditch during a high speed chase. When he opened fire on officers from his car they responded with a hail of bullets hitting him 13 times.
Sheriff Johnson was survived by his wife and three children.
