Former partner's 43-year mission to honor slain SDPD officer fulfilled

Michael Chen
Posted

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The I-805 and SR-52 interchange in San Diego has been renamed in honor of Officer Kirk Leland Johnson, a San Diego police officer killed in the line of duty in 1983 — fulfilling a mission more than 4 decades in the making for his former partner.

John Bailey, now a district attorney investigator in Colorado, had been campaigning for a memorial to honor Johnson since the shooting. In late June, Bailey traveled to Sacramento to witness the California State Senate vote designating the interchange as the Officer Kirk Leland Johnson Memorial Interchange.

"I cried like a baby," Bailey said. "That got me choked up, because of the years involved.”

On an early February morning in 1983, Bailey and Johnson — both on the job for 2 years — had been assigned to individual patrol units due to lean staffing. Around 1:30 a.m., inside what is now known as Marian Bear Park, Johnson pulled up next to a sheriff patrol unit. Inside was a 16-year-old boy who had stolen his stepfather's patrol vehicle. The teen opened fire, killing Johnson.

The teen eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years to life. He was paroled several years ago.

Bailey said the weight of that night never left him.

"He was my partner. He died in the line of duty. I felt there was nothing I could do for him at that moment. I should have been with him that night," Bailey said.

Over the years, Bailey said he received backing from some San Diego Police Department chiefs, but the idea for a memorial never gained traction. A push for a memorial at Marian Bear Park also went nowhere.

"It just ate at me, nothing was ever done for the guy … I was thinking, oh my God, my partner is the forgotten soldier," Bailey said.

Last October, Bailey appealed to the office of State Senator Brian Jones. Several months ago, Jones introduced a resolution for the naming of the interchange. The naming will include signage in tribute to Johnson.

"It meant closure for his family, closure for the officers that were involved that night. He needed to be honored by the community he served," Bailey said.

The signage will cost approximately $20,000. Various law enforcement groups plan to help raise the funds. Bailey is hopeful a dedication ceremony can take place before the end of the year.

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