In Memoriam: Sergeant John H. Johnston

Injured during an incident three days earlier, Sergeant Johnston succumbed to wounds received in the line of duty July 8, 1911.

In the early morning hours of July 5, the 42-year-old victim and two other officers responded to a domestic disturbance in a room at the Albert Hotel, 119 S. West Temple.

Officers discovered an intoxicated man threatening his wife with a .32-caliber revolver.  When Sergeant Johnson stepped between the man and his wife, he was shot once in the abdomen. The man was attempting to shoot Sergeant Johnson again when he was subdued by the other officers.

Sergeant Johnston was transported to St. Mark’s Hospital where he died. The suspect was charged with first-degree murder, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison.

Two years later, after the Utah Supreme Court ordered a new trial, the suspect pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was paroled in 1917.

Sergeant Johnston was survived by a wife and two children. He is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Salt Lake City.

If you have family history or photos of Sergeant Johnston to share, please email policehistory@slcgov.com or call (801) 799-3340.