CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There have been 10 officers killed in the line of duty, dating back to 1920, in the history of the Charleston Police Department. The anniversary of the most recent death is Wednesday.
It was Dec. 1, 2020 when Patrolman Cassie Johnson was dispatched to Garrison Avenue for a parking complaint. Somebody had parked their car in a place where it was obstructing others. All she needed was for the man to move his car.
“That’s all it was. It was a simple parking complaint. She found out where he was in a house nearby and made contact with him. He had decided today’s not the day unfortunately,” said Charleston Police Chief Scott Dempsey.
Joshua Phillips was the one who had parked the car and got into a scuffle with Johnson. He eventually produced a gun and shot Johnson. Despite what would be a fatal wound, she was able to pull her service weapon and return fire leaving Phillips wounded. He would eventually be convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Johnson died two days after the shooting at CAMC.
Dempsey was the deputy chief at the time and admitted anytime an officer is injured or killed it’s a hard pill for fellow officers to swallow, but Johnson’s was an even bigger tragedy because of who she was.
“Cassie had such passion for the job and a big heart. She always was very good at speaking with people and just had a kind heart,” Dempsey explained.
According to Dempsey, the fifth anniversary of her tragic death serves as a reminder to her fellow officers there is no such thing as a “routine call.”
“That was my exact message to our rank and file officers at the time. You have to treat every call very seriously because you just don’t know what’s around the corner or who you’re going to run into. The simplest calls can turn very bad, very quickly,” he said.
Officers will be reminded of Johnson’s sacrifice internally. Dempsey said because it’s the 5th anniversary the city police will participate in the dedication of a bench the family has purchased to be placed near her gravestone.
Phillips was eventually convicted in Johnson’s death and is in prison.