John Turner Johns
Agency patch
Motorcycle Officer

John Turner Johns

Jackson Police Department — Jackson, TN
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch December 22, 1931
Age 38
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
The Vigil Panel 63 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer John Turner was struck and killed by a drunk driver while directing traffic on South Royal Street near the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad depot. The impact knocked Officer Johns 63 feet. The driver fled the scene in his vehicle but was arrested a short time later and charged with second degree murder.

Officer Johns was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had been with the Jackson Police Department for 8 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-D5EB26C8
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. John is one person.

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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.
Motorcycle Officer Johns gave the Jackson Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Jackson 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

Type Police Department
Location Jackson, Madison County, TN
Platform Identity jpd.madison.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 22, 1931
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
Age 38
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Military Service

John Turner Johns served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Motorcycle Officer John Turner Johns 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Jackson Police Department, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Jackson Police Department
3
of 3 officers
100% Felonious
TN — Statewide
498
of 769 officers
64.8% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Turner Johns's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How John Turner Johns Compares

Age at Death
38
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
8
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Turner Johns is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Turner Johns was killed by automobile; alcohol involved.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Military Service

John Turner Johns served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

Visit John Turner Johns’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Jackson Police Department are honored on badge.nw.