Monongalia County’s law enforcement community will attend Charleston Police Officer Cassie Johnson’s funeral today.
Johnson was shot while responding to a parking complaint call Dec. 1 and died two days later. The suspect, Joshua Phillips, is expected to be charged with first-degree murder, WSAZ reported.
“We’ve been through the ordeal of having an officer killed in the line of duty,” Chief Deputy Al Kisner said. “And we know how much support from other departments from throughout the state and throughout the country means to an agency and the families of the deceased officer. So, it’s a small price for us to pay to show our respects to her, her family and her agency, especially during such a horrific time in their lives.”
Kisner was speaking about Sgt. Michael Todd May, who was killed Feb. 18, 2012, and was the last officer to be killed in the line of duty in Monongalia County.
The Morgantown Police Department is sending its honor guard and additional patrol officers.
“Any time the law enforcement community suffers a loss like that, especially in the state, we take it to heart and we want to show our support and sympathy to the family and to the officers that she worked with,” Interim Chief Eric Powell said. “It’s why we have an honor guard.”
Granville Police Department officers will also attend the funeral, though Chief Craig Corkrean said Monday afternoon he didn’t know how many officers were going.
“This one hits home,” Corkrean said. “This was in West Virginia, and we send a contingent to anywhere in our driving area when one happens. We just want to show our support for her department, and her family and her friends.”
Powell said the loss of Johnson is a reminder of how fragile life is and how dangerous the job of police work can be.
Kisner said, “It drives home the fact that what we do on a daily basis, and it doesn’t matter what type of call, the call she went on was just a parking complaint. You think it’s something routine, someone is mad about where someone is parked and you end up with an officer killed.”
Two Westover Police officers are also traveling to Charleston to attend the funeral.
Johnson’s funeral is at noon today at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. It is not open to the public.
Gov. Jim Justice ordered the state and American flags at the Capitol Complex and all state-owned facilities be flown at half-staff from dawn-dusk today in Johnson’s honor.
The dome of the state Capitol Building in front of the Governor’s Mansion will be lit blue from dusk to 9 p.m., as a tribute to Johnson and the service of law enforcement.
The Star City Police Department, West Virginia University Police Department and West Virginia State Police — Morgantown could not be reached in time for this report.
