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Correctional Officer

John W. Johnson

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch September 29, 1974

Age 24

Tour of Duty 8 mo

The Vigil Panel 114 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Keepsakes Department 33

Incident

Correctional Officer John Johnson was stabbed to death at USP Leavenworth in Leavenworth, Kansas. While locking up inmates for the night at 9:00 p.m., one of the men struck him with a large piece of strap steel, knocking him to the ground. When another officer came to his aid, the inmate stabbed him. The inmate then stabbed Officer Johnson 117 times. The inmate, 47, was charged with murder and assaulting two correctional officers in the same incident. He had been sentenced in 1968 to 15 years for kidnapping. The state of Kentucky had a detainer against him for a life sentence for robbery. Seven more inmates were charged with assaulting correctional officers in the same incident. Officer Johnson's killer was removed to the Wyandotte County Jail, charged with murder, and there to remain until his trial. In May of 1975, he and another inmate overpowered the jailer, obtained two pistols, and held the jailer and three deputies hostage. He shot the jailer in the shoulder until they were talked into surrendering an hour later. On October 1, 1975, he was convicted of Officer Johnson's murder, but before he was to be sentenced the next day, he escaped from the Wyandotte County Jail again. He was apprehended by FBI agents three days later in at a trailer park in the Kansas City Suburb of Muncie. He was sentenced to life plus 20 years for Officer Johnson's murder. Six months later, he committed suicide in prison. Officer Johnson had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for eight months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: NW-T9N7-PR4P-E earlier record number BO-US-FED-5B4BE72E
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer Johnson served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Johnson.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjfbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 29, 1974

Tour of Duty 8 mo

Age 24

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,741 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.2% of the 27,543 remembered there.

33,910 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1974, 162 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 22nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

John was 24. Of the 14,215 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 0.7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.2% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was edged weapon, in 2.2% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded