TULSA: OK — June 30, marks 3 years since the death of Tulsa Police Sergeant, Craig Johnson.
He was shot and killed following a traffic stop in 2020.
Courage, bravery and dedication are just a few of the words used to describe Johnson by his co-workers.
Lt. Pat Harker not only supervised Johnson at the Tulsa Police Department, but the two were also the best of friends.
Harker even delivered part of his eulogy at his funeral.
"I had the pleasure of being one of his training officers when he was promoted. We probably went to lunch just about every day together and we shared jokes and laughed," said Harker.
Harker says Johnson was a valuable asset to the department.
"He was just a wonderful person. A great investigator, tenacious, fantastic field training officer. He trained up a lot of young Tulsa police officers along the way," said Harker.
June 30th is the 3 year anniversary of Johnson's death, and his funeral was attended by thousands of fellow law enforcement officers, community members, family and friends.
The Tulsa Police Department says Johnson's death highlighted Tulsa's sense of community.
"It was really special to me because I was one of the pallbearers and I had not been involved in a funeral that respected, but it was heartbreaking the entire time, but it was really nice to see that basically the city shut down and everybody came out, lined the roadways and showed their support," said Lt. Bryan Bryden.
Bryden was also a dear friend and co-worker of Johnson's and traveled to the National Police Memorial to honor him.
"When his name was read a couple years ago on the memorial, I went to DC and went down to the law enforcement memorial and got rubbings of his name on the wall," said Bryden.
As another year passes, the department says it will continue to honor Johnson's life and legacy.
Sgt. Craig Johnson was a 15 year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department.
Tulsa Mayor, GT Bynum released this statement honoring Johnson:
“There is not a day that goes by where I do not think about Sergeant Craig Johnson, his service, and the sacrifice he made for Tulsa. Even three years later, his memory and the bravery of Officer Aurash Zarkeshan in that moment remind me of the dangers that our men and women of the Tulsa Police Department face when they come to work. Because of his sacrifice and the State legislation that followed, we Oklahomans owe him a deep debt of gratitude. His unwavering commitment to protecting our community should serve as a timeless reminder of the selflessness of the law enforcement profession.”
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