Fallen officer honored with plaque at site of 2015 shooting
Family, friends, police gather at site where Michael Johnson was fatally shot on Senter Road three years ago
SAN JOSE >> Gray skies and steady rain seemed like a fitting background for the police officers, family members and friends who gathered on a sidewalk in front of the nondescript apartment complex on Senter Road.
But for them and the broader San Jose community, the site was where San Jose Police Officer Michael Johnson, already a police folk hero when he was alive, was fatally shot on this exact day in 2015 by a suicidal rifle-toting man who ambushed him and several other officers responding to a 911 call he prompted.
And in almost cosmic deference, the rain let up for the 15 to 20 minutes that they filled the sidewalk and spilled out into the street to commemorate the third anniversary of Johnson’s death with a sidewalk plaque near where he died.
“May it serve as a reminder to the city, to all who pass by, his ultimate sacrifice,” SJPD Chaplain Jim Becknall said before the assembled crowd. “For years and generations to come as people see it, let it be a reminder also that we will never forget about our fallen brothers and sisters.”
The weather reprieve allowed his mother, Katherine Decker, to share solemn moments with Johnson’s police family and reflect on how three years have evaporated into memories she can still almost touch.
“When I saw this plaque, so close to where he was killed, it really brought up a lot emo-
tions in me,” Decker said. “It never stops, you miss him always.”
The plaque adds to a number of tributes to Johnson since he gained the somber distinction as the 12th SJPD officer in department history to be killed in the line of duty. That number tragically increased a year later when Michael Katherman was killed in an onduty collision while riding his police motorcycle.
A five-mile stretch of Highway 87 between Highway 85 and Interstate 280 was designated the “San Jose Police Officer Michael Johnson Memorial Highway” in 2016.
“It’s touching that he’s being remembered in this way,” Decker said, referring to the posthumous honors bestowed upon her son. “I feel so honored that he’s not being forgotten.”
Nikki Johnson, the officer’s widow, shared similar thoughts, and voiced appreciation for the “big blue family” she said has supported her since her husband was killed. That includes the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, which paid for the plaque.
“It’s such a wonderful gesture,” Nikki Johnson said. “I’m so glad they continue to do these things each and every year.”
Johnson was one of several rifle specialists dispatched the evening of March 24, 2015, to an apartment complex on Senter
Road. It turned out to be an ambush. A suicidal man, whom they had been called to help, shot Johnson as he stood in the street after exiting his patrol car. Another officer returned fire, killing the gunman. The plaque is on the sidewalk between the place on the street where Johnson died and the balcony where the gunman fired at him.
It’s one of a number of commemorative gestures in the community inspired by fallen officers. Jeffrey Fontana Park in South San Jose honors Fontana, a rookie cop who was shot and killed in 2001 while conducting a traffic stop. And most recently, plans moved forward for a dedicated San Jose police memorial at the SJPD headquarters on West Mission Street.
Chief Eddie Garcia said that besides honoring Johnson, the Saturday morning gathering was a moment to reflect on how police face
mortal risks every time they hit the streets.
“This plaque is not just a reminder for us, but a reminder for the community, of the sacrifice that Michael did, and the sacrifices that are made on a daily basis by the men and women who wear this uniform,” he said.
Garcia added that experiencing two officer deaths as a top-level commander, first as assistant chief and then chief, has bestowed to him the gravity of what he asks of his officers.
“I’m not going to lie and tell you there’s not a part of me that does not sleep well knowing our men and women are out being proactive to keep our community safe, and that there are dangers that come with that,” he said. “They understand the perils of it. They know that’s what our calling is.”