Niles Frederick Johantgen

Atlanta Police Department — Atlanta, GA

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch December 21, 1991

Age 32

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 137 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 87

Incident

Officer Johantgen was shot and killed as he was frisking a suspect on Henry Thomas Drive. Another man hit Officer Johantgen in the back of the head from behind, then shot him in the back of the head as he lay on the ground. The man who attacked him was upset that Officer Johantgen had arrested a man for drugs in the suspect's home and that he was searching three of the suspect's friends. The suspect was sentenced to death in 1993. In 2017, the suspect agreed to life in prison without parole after an appeals judge threw out the death sentence. Officer Johantgen was a United States Marine Corps veteran and served with the Atlanta Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-GA-987824EA
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 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 Johantgen gave the Atlanta Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta community, 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 Atlanta Police Department

Location Atlanta, GA

Platform Identity apd.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 21, 1991

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Life without parole

Military Service

Niles Frederick Johantgen served in the Marine Corps (1980â1984) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Niles Frederick Johantgen 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 Atlanta Police Department, 58 of 88 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.9% of this agency's fallen.

Atlanta Police Department

of 88 officers

65.9% Felonious

GA — Statewide

548

of 903 officers

60.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious