WESTERVILLE, OH (WCMH) – Fallen Hilliard Officer Sean Johnson was laid to rest today after a ceremony at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville.
The funeral began at 10:30am and was followed by a procession to Resurrection Cemetery in Lewis Center for a graveside service.
Seven men stood at attention, shotguns in hand, to deliver a final three-volley salute in honor of Johnson.
Family, friends and colleagues of Officer Johnson gathered at his gravesite at Resurrection Cemetery in Lewis Center on Wednesday, after a procession from St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” Lori McKnight said.
McKnight and Nicole Monsul said they were longtime friends of Johnson’s former wife and had known Johnson for more than a decade. Monsul struggled for words as she described the last couple of days.
“Even at the viewing, it just-it’s all, it’s a blur,” Monsul said. “I mean, it can’t-it just doesn’t seem real.”
Johnson was killed Thursday, May 19 during a training exercise for Hilliard’s motorcycle patrol. Many in the crowd Tuesday wore blue to honor the third local officer to die in the line of duty this year.
The women described Johnson as a “gentle giant” who was quiet and compassionate.
“Loved his kids,” McKnight said. “Would do anything for anybody.”
Doug Francis, who retired as chief of the Hilliard Division of Police in April 2015, said losing an officer in the line of duty was “the absolute worst thing that could happen to a chief of police.”
Johnson is the first HPD officer to die in the line of duty since the division’s inception in 1960.
“He was a great guy,” Francis said. “And I’m sure you’ve heard all the accolades, but he was just a tremendous, tremendous officer. Great attitude, and everything about him as an officer just made my job as a chief so much easier.”
Francis said he was with current Hilliard Police Chief Robert Fisher when the phone rang about Johnson’s death. He said his heart sank.
“Thirty-two years of law enforcement and my heart still bleeds blue,” Francis said.
For those who did not know Johnson, the funeral was still difficult. Sergeant Benjamin Rohaly, who was in charge of the firing detail for the Columbus Police Honor Guard, said he knows the risks he and his fellow officers have to take for their work.
“It really makes you think more before you leave the house,” Rohaly said. “You hug your wife, your kids a little bit tighter and you just never know.”FULL VIDEO: Officer Johnson’s Funeral
Officer Sean Johnson was with the department since October of 1999. He was a six-year veteran of the United States Air Force. Prior to joining HPD, Johnson served with the Ohio Investigative Unit and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office.FULL VIDEO: Funeral procession for Officer Johnson
Johnson leaves behind his children, aged 14 and 11, and his mother.
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