On the 80th anniversary of his death, the Phoenix Police Department unveiled a Historical Marker for Officer David “Star" Johnson.
Johnson was killed in the line of duty on May 2, 1944. Until now, Johnson had never been recognized for his sacrifice. He was the second Phoenix police officer to be killed while performing his duties as a police officer.
That day in 1944, Johnson was working in the downtown area when he and his partner observed a traffic violation. During the traffic stop Johnson got into an argument with an off-duty officer over the ticket and that off-duty officer shot and killed Johnson.
His historical marker will hang in the area of 2nd Street and Jefferson Street, near where he was shot.
The story of Johnson's death and the events surrounding it had never been widely shared. A documentary was released earlier this year with all the know details. It can be watch here: https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/police/3051.
