Friday marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Junction City police officer Wilson “Alex” C. Johnson Jr. in the line of duty. JCPD posted via social media this week that at 4:30 am on December 3, 2001, Officer Wilson C. A. Johnson, Jr, received a fatal gunshot wound while assisting a domestic battery victim to recover her two children who were being held in a Junction City apartment building. The domestic battery suspect shot Officer Johnson during a confrontation in the apartment. Officer Johnson died at the scene.
Due to officer Johnson's actions, the two children were rescued unharmed. Johnson served the Junction City Police Department for 18 years as a Patrol Officer and Detective. He joined the department after a twenty-year Army career that included two tours of duty in Vietnam and tours of duty in Korea and Germany. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Junction City Police Officers Association, and the Kansas Peace Officers Association. Officer
Johnson was fifty-six years old at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife Hermine Linda Johnson and two stepsons, David and Michael Quintanar. Friday afternoon Chief of Police John Lamb along with the Sergeant of the JCPD Community Involvement Unit, Eliel Borges, visited Officer Johnson’s wife to give her flowers in honor of Alex. Chief Lamb and Sgt. Borges spent some time with Hermine reminiscing on the department’s memories of Officer Johnson.
JCPD has lost 3 other officers in the line of duty since the department’s inception, Ira M. Buchanan (EOW 11/13/1869), James R. White (EOW 11-18-1901), Robert E L. Cooper (EOW 11/20/1901). Their memories are honored at Junction City’s Heritage Park at the law enforcement memorial, and their names are found on a plaque attached to the department's mural wall.
"Thank you, Alex, for your sacrifice and service to our community, you are a dearly missed member of our family."