# Wounded city officer reports for duty



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Michael A. Jones*
Daily Mail Staff

While the past month has been a blur, Charleston Police Sgt. Eric Johnson can remember every detail from the late hours of June 15 when he was shot twice in the line of duty.

He and Capt. Tim Tucker were patrolling the Days Inn parking lot in Kanawha City. They spotted a man sitting in a parked car, the same spot he'd been in when they passed through the lot three hours earlier. 
When they approached the car and identified themselves as police officers, Brett L. Hanick pulled a handgun and shot Johnson in the mouth and abdomen. 
Johnson immediately returned fire, killing Hanick, who was suspected of a home invasion in Ohio just days before. Police officials have said Tucker was not armed and ran from the car when the gunfire erupted. 
Doctors told Johnson the bullet was initially lodged in his gum just above his top molars before he spit it and teeth fragments out of his mouth while frantically radioing dispatchers about the situation. If the bullet had gone just a little bit further, they said, he might have been killed. 
"I think about that often," Johnson said Tuesday. 
He declined to speak specifically about the incident because of ongoing investigations, but did say it unfolded in a matter of 20 seconds. Johnson said his training helped him to focus clearly even as Hanick fired his weapon. 
Mayor Danny Jones has hailed Johnson as a hero for his efforts under such pressure. 
Johnson, a 15-year veteran of the force, is ready to put that night behind him. 
He went back to work Tuesday for his usual 2 p.m. to midnight shift. While his first shift mostly included procedural work after being away for so long, his return caps a remarkable recovery. 
He probably will be relegated to "light duty" for the next four months, though the department will allow him to return to many of his normal activities such as supervising officers in the Special Enforcement Unit and other administrative work. 
"I've been looking forward to this day because it's a stepping-stone to getting back to my normal routine, although police work is never routine," Johnson said as he began his shift. "Over the past couple weeks when I've felt rather well, it feels like I'm not contributing. I don't like that feeling so I'm happy to be back." 
Department officials have told him he will be able to perform some field work, but won't go out on road patrol until doctors are convinced his surgically repaired jaw can withstand a physical encounter. 
"It's as close to normal as I can get, but it's going to take a little bit of effort by my men to protect me in the meantime," Johnson said. "They have to realize I'm not a back-up officer." Tuesday was an emotional experience even before he walked through the station's door. As he approached his unit's detachment nestled beside Washington Manor, nearby apartment residents made their way down to greet and thank him for his work.

They spent 20 minutes chatting about his ordeal and Johnson thanked them for a card they sent while he recovered at home.

That recovery, he said, was filled with highs and lows, but the backing from his family and the community helped the most. 
"It's been incredible. From one extreme to the next, the support has been phenomenal ever since," he said. "I never realized there was that much support for the police until this. And it's a good feeling. I attribute that to why I'm doing as well as I am now." 
Memories of the first couple of weeks are still hazy because he was sedated to ease the pain. He sometimes must be reminded of people who stopped to see him. 
But he remembers the longtime friends, old school teachers and unidentified well-wishers who encouraged him. 
Others have been impressed by his sprit and willingness to return to work so soon after the traumatic event, including Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster. 
"We think he's ready mentally, and he says he's ready physically," Webster said. "There was no reason to keep him back unless he wasn't ready. Some people have a harder time dealing with it than others." 
Webster said Johnson's presence around the office will mean a lot to the department. 
"Definitely a morale booster," Webster said. "Obviously it's good for him, his fellow officers and the staff. He appears really emotionally and physically fit -- the same Eric Johnson we knew before." 
Even Johnson believes the experience has changed him little. He expects to be just as prepared when presented with another dangerous encounter, although he acknowledged that only time will tell if he has any reservations while on patrol. 
"You can't approach every car with your gun drawn just because the activity appears suspicious. I'm comfortable about how I acted that night, but you can never be too safe with some of these people we have to deal with," Johnson said. 
"You know you'll be in that situation again, and I think I'm psychologically ready for that."

_Contact writer Michael Jones at [email protected] or 348-4860._


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## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

kwflatbed said:


> He and Capt. Tim Tucker were patrolling the Days Inn parking lot in Kanawha City. They spotted a man sitting in a parked car, the same spot he'd been in when they passed through the lot three hours earlier.
> 
> When they approached the car and identified themselves as police officers, Brett L. Hanick pulled a handgun and shot Johnson in the mouth and abdomen.
> 
> ...


Captains no longer needs to carry guns??


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