Willis Wood "Johnny" Sides

Dallas Police Department — Dallas, TX

Felonious

End of Watch February 7, 1951

Age 22

Tour of Duty 3 mo

Badge 337

The Vigil Panel 87 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 94

Incident

Officer Johnny Sides succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained on January 22nd, 1951, when he was shot after he and his partner stopped a vehicle for running a red light near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Fourth Avenue. As they approached the vehicle the four men opened fire on them, striking Officer Sides in his abdomen and wounding his partner. The suspects were arrested two days later in Arkansas after a county sheriff used a rock to subdue them. The men were suspects for the December 1950 wounding of a Mississippi Department of Public Safety trooper. All four men were convicted of murdering Officer Sides. One, 21, and his 32-year-old uncle were executed; one on March 12, 1952, and the other on April 9, 1952. On June 27, 1951, the other two men, 19 and 23, were sentenced 99 years each. Officer Sides had served with the Dallas Police Department for three months.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, brother, and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-1FCCB714
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.
Officer Sides served with the Dallas Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Sides.

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

Agency

Department Dallas Police Department

Location Dallas, TX

Platform Identity dpd.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 7, 1951

Tour of Duty 3 mo

Age 22

Badge Number 337

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Two executed

Officer Willis Wood "Johnny" Sides 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Dallas Police Department, 55 of 95 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.9% of this agency's fallen.

Dallas Police Department

of 95 officers

57.9% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious