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Officer

Rodney Joseph Johnson

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 21, 2006

Age 40

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Badge 5913

The Vigil Panel 345 · Column 1 · Line 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 116

Incident

Officer Rodney Johnson was shot and killed after taking an illegal alien into custody during a traffic stop.

Officer Johnson had stopped a large white pickup truck occupied by a man and woman on Randolph at Braniff, just south of Hobby Airport, at about 5:30 pm. He placed the male driver under arrest after he was unable to produce a driver's license. After handcuffing the male, he placed him in the backseat of the patrol car and then returned to the driver's seat. The subject, while handcuffed and sitting in the backseat of the patrol car was able to move his hands to his front, retrieve a concealed handgun, and shoot Officer Johnson in the back of the head four times. Despite being fatally wounded, Officer Johnson was able to push an emergency button, alerting dispatch to the incident.

When other officers arrived, the male was still handcuffed and sitting in the patrol car, and the weapon was recovered. The woman who was in the vehicle during the traffic stop had fled but was also located and taken into custody.

Officer Johnson was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect was an illegal alien who had been deported in 1999 but illegally re-entered the United States. On May 8, 2008, the suspect was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. In addition, a federal grand jury indicted the owner of a landscaping firm who hired the suspect, accusing him of harboring an illegal alien.

Officer Johnson was a 12-year member of the Houston Police Department and had previously served as a corrections officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and as a military policeman in the US Army.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, also a Houston officer, their three daughters, two sons, and mother.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Johnson gave the Houston Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Houston Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Houston, Harris County, TX

Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 21, 2006

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 40

Badge Number 5913

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; 9 mm

Military Service

Rodney Joseph Johnson served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Rodney is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2006, 72 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 98th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Rodney was 40. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Rodney had served 12 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%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun; 9 mm, in 0.2% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded