Roll of Honor
Incident
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.
Survivors
Sheriff Johnson was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NE-9AB292F7- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Johnson gave the Nance County Sheriff's Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fullerton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Johnson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Dave Johnson is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NE, 97 of 151 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.2% of this state's fallen. That is 10 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dave Johnson's cause is highlighted.
How Dave Johnson Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Dave Johnson is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Dave Johnson was killed by shotgun.