Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Ervin Johnston suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after assisting a mentally ill man return to his group home.
Officer Johnston was dispatched to a call involving a man standing in the snow. After arriving, he learned that the man lived in a nearby group home. As he walked the man to his patrol car the man slipped and fell on Officer Johnston.
He returned the man to the home and returned to his patrol duties. He was found collapsed in his patrol car approximately one hour later.
Officer Johnston had served with the Livonia Police Department for 17 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-ADBE597E- 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 Johnston gave the Livonia Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Livonia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Johnston.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Ervin Michael Hawk Johnston, I is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MI, 39 of 718 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5.4% of this state's fallen. That is 1.4 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
At Livonia Police Dept., 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ervin Michael Hawk Johnston, I's cause is highlighted.
How Ervin Michael Hawk Johnston, I Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Ervin Michael Hawk Johnston, I is highlighted in Jan.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Livonia Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
