ALBANY — The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that late Northville Police Officer Robert Johnson will be recognized at the New York Fallen Officers’ Memorial on May 8 in Albany.
The sheriff’s Facebook page indicates that “on behalf of the family” of Johnson, who was also a retired Gloversville police officer, “it is an honor and privilege” to announce Johnson will be recognized at the memorial, which lies downtown at the Empire Plaza. Johnson was killed last summer in an accident while off duty.
The event will be open to the public and the sheriff’s post indicated more information will be made public when received.
Sheriff Richard Giardino couldn’t be reached this morning for comment.
According to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, the memorial honors the memory and sacrifice of police officers from around New York state who have died in the line of duty. A remembrance ceremony is held at the polished black granite memorial each year during the month of May.
The site says the names of 1,453 officers are engraved on the memorial wall. Among them are the names of 822 officers from the New York City Police Department. The remaining 631 officers are from 141 police agencies statewide and 6 federal agencies. Names are placed randomly on the wall and without rank.
Johnson was killed July 3. He was an off-duty village of Northville police officer at the time when killed after being struck by a car while trying to assist with a deer accident in the town of Northampton.
According to the sheriff’s office report, driver Joseph M. Winnie, 25, of 8 Geer Road, Trailer 54, Hudson Falls, was northbound on Route 30. He stated he observed vehicles in the southbound shoulder of the road because of the deer accident, and moved towards the shoulder of his lane to avoid anything in the road. Deputies said vehicles were parked there because of an accident between a vehicle and deer. The report said Johnson had stopped to assist in dispatching the deer, which was still alive.
Johnson had his service revolver out and was walking north on Route 30 to shoot the deer. While Johnson was in the area of the northbound lane fog line, he was struck by the front right of Winnie’s 2009 Forester. Winnie was not ticketed.
