Roll of Honor
James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr.
Incident
Officer Jimmy Johnson succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained almost 30 years earlier as he and two other officers questioned an armed man.
The suspect had come into town with $20,000 in cash in preparation to conduct a large drug deal. As the man and a female acquaintance were watching a movie prior to the drug deal, someone broke into the man's truck and stole the money. The female alerted a gas station clerk that the man was armed with a shotgun and asked the clerk to call the police. Officer Johnson and two other officers located the suspect behind the First Tuesday Mall and blocked his truck with their patrol cars.
Both occupants of the truck exited the vehicle, and the officers recovered the shotgun from inside the truck. After speaking for a few moments, the man, a Florida prison escapee, pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and attempted to escape, holding Officer Johnson hostage.
The man retook possession of the shotgun and started walking Officer Johnson away from the scene. A struggle ensued, and the suspect shot Officer Johnson in the back with the .38 caliber revolver, severely wounding him. The suspect was shot and wounded in the ensuing shootout with the other officers and taken into custody.
Officer Johnson was partially paralyzed from the gunshot wound. He worked for months to learn to walk again but was only able to return to work as a Police Officer for a short time due to the extreme pain he suffered from the gunshot. He left the force in August 1983 and was awarded the department's two highest medals, the Medal of Valor and the Purple Heart.
Officer Johnson passed away from the wound on May 26, 2010. His death was ruled a homicide by the county coroner from the effects of the gunshot wound sustained on November 11, 1980.
At the time of the shooting, Officer Johnson had served with the Carrollton Police Department for just under four years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-GA-4B1058FD- 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.
Police Officer Johnson gave the Carrollton Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Carrollton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Johnson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr. 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 GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Carrollton Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr. Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr. is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James M. "Jimmy" Johnson, Jr. was killed by handgun; .38 caliber.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Carrollton Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
