Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Johnson was killed when he was crushed between a car and a bridge trestle. He had stopped the car for investigation of run rumming. He got on the running board and ordered the car to drive to the courthouse. Within a block from the courthouse the driver deliberately ran Officer Johnson into the trestle causing fatal injuries. The driver, his wife, and another man were arrested and charged with murder. The 30-year-old driver was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 19 to 20 years in prison. Charges against his wife were dismissed after she spent ten months in jail. The other passenger was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-GA-96017202- Stewardship
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- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Johnson served with the Ware County Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Waycross community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Johnson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer James Hilton "Cracker" Johnson 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 32,586 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 6.8 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Hilton "Cracker" Johnson's cause is highlighted.
How James Hilton "Cracker" Johnson Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Hilton "Cracker" Johnson is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Hilton "Cracker" Johnson was killed by automobile.