Police Officer James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr.

James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr.

Officer Jimmy Johnson succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained almost 30 years earlier as he and two other officers questioned an armed man.

The suspect had come into town with $20,000 in cash in preparation to conduct a large drug deal. As the man and a female acquaintance were watching a movie prior to the drug deal, someone broke into the man's truck and stole the money. The female alerted a gas station clerk that the man was armed with a shotgun and asked the clerk to call the police. Officer Johnson and two other officers located the suspect behind the First Tuesday Mall and blocked his truck with their patrol cars.

Both occupants of the truck exited the vehicle, and the officers recovered the shotgun from inside the truck. After speaking for a few moments, the man, a Florida prison escapee, pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and attempted to escape, holding Officer Johnson hostage.

The man retook possession of the shotgun and started walking Officer Johnson away from the scene. A struggle ensued, and the suspect shot Officer Johnson in the back with the .38 caliber revolver, severely wounding him. The suspect was shot and wounded in the ensuing shootout with the other officers and taken into custody.

Officer Johnson was partially paralyzed from the gunshot wound. He worked for months to learn to walk again but was only able to return to work as a Police Officer for a short time due to the extreme pain he suffered from the gunshot. He left the force in August 1983 and was awarded the department's two highest medals, the Medal of Valor and the Purple Heart.

Officer Johnson passed away from the wound on May 26, 2010. His death was ruled a homicide by the county coroner from the effects of the gunshot wound sustained on November 11, 1980.

At the time of the shooting, Officer Johnson had served with the Carrollton Police Department for just under four years. He is survived by his wife.