Ben Johnston

Tulsa Police Department — Tulsa, OK

Felonious

End of Watch January 3, 1947

The Vigil Panel 83 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 41

Incident

Detective Johnston and Detective Sylvester Cormack were shot and killed while attempting to arrest two suspects wanted for questioning in the murder of Officer Jerry St. Clair ten days earlier. They were also wanted for the murder of a night watchman in Seneca, Missouri, a day earlier and a hit and run accident in which a man was killed a week earlier in Vincennes, Indiana. The detectives stopped the two suspects on Frisco Avenue but were immediately fired upon. Detective Cormack succumbed to his wounds at the scene and Detective Johnston succumbed to his wounds three months later. One of the suspects was apprehended at the scene and the second was later apprehended in Idaho. On Febuary 3, 1947, both suspects escaped from the Tulsa County Jail. One was captured a short time later. Two hours later the other suspect was shot and killed in a gun battle with three state troopers 40 miles east of Tulsa. The suspect who murdered Officer St. Clair was apprehended in California. He was convicted of first degree murder and executed in the electric chair on November 17, 1949.

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Johnston served with the Tulsa Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Tulsa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Johnston.

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

Agency

Department Tulsa Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Tulsa, OK

Platform Identity tpd.tulsa.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 3, 1947

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Detective Ben Johnston is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 69.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Tulsa Police Department, 30 of 42 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Tulsa Police Department

of 42 officers

71.4% Felonious

OK — Statewide

403

of 582 officers

69.2% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious