Roll of Honor

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Officer

Johnny Ramirez Martinez

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch October 2, 1981

Age 33

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Badge 8813

The Vigil Panel 124 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 232

Incident

Officer Johnny Martinez was shot and killed when he and his partner were ambushed on I-10. Two officers were clearing debris from the San Bernardino Freeway when a vehicle pulled along side and the two occupants opened fire. The occupants had just committed an armed robbery and believed there was a road block setup to capture them. Officer Martinez's partner had slowed traffic using his motorcycle so Officer Martinez could remove the debris. The suspects mistook this attempt to slow them down as an attempt to stop them as a result of the robbery. The suspects pulled alongside the partner and opened fire, striking him once in the neck and once in the back, but the round was stopped by his vest. The force of the round knocked the officer off of his motorcycle. Officer Martinez did not see the shooting and thought that his partner had crashed. As Officer Martinez returned to his motorcycle to contact dispatch, the suspect vehicle pulled alongside and shot him in the back, killing him. On January 12, 1982, one of the suspects was located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was killed in a shootout with officers. Sergeant Ronald Heaps, of the Salt Lake City Police Department, was also killed during this shootout. Another suspect was apprehended at a different time and sentenced to death. Officer Martinez was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran. He had served with the California Highway Patrol for 4 years.

Survivors

Officer Martinez is survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-DA75DC21
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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 Martinez gave the California Highway Patrol 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department California Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 2, 1981

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 33

Badge Number 8813

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Johnny Ramirez Martinez served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Johnny Ramirez Martinez is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,587 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 0.9 percentage points below the national rate of 53.9%.

At California Highway Patrol, 71 of 233 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 30.5% of this agency's fallen.

California Highway Patrol

of 233 officers

30.5% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,559

of 32,587 officers

53.9% Felonious