Sergeant Craig Vincent Johnson

Sergeant Craig Vincent Johnson

Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma

End of Watch Tuesday, June 30, 2020

CRAIG VINCENT JOHNSON

Sergeant Craig Johnson succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous morning when he was shot multiple times during a traffic stop near the intersection of East 21st Street and South 89th East Avenue.

An officer on Sergeant Johnson’s squad had conducted the traffic stop at 3:30 am and determined the vehicle had to be impounded. The driver refused to exit the vehicle despite the use of de-escalation techniques and non-lethal force, including pepper spray and a taser. As Sergeant Johnson and the other officer continued their attempts to remove the driver, the man reached under the driver’s seat and retrieved a handgun. He opened fire on both officers, striking each multiple times in the head and torso.

The man then fled the scene with the assistance of a friend whom he had called for help during the traffic stop.

The subject was arrested later in the day and subsequently charged with first-degree murder. The friend who aided his escape was charged with being an accessory to a felony.

The other officer who was shot remains in critical condition.

Sergeant Johnson had served with the Tulsa Police Department for 15 years.