The procession honoring slain officer Joseph “JJ” Johnson will start near at the Treasure Valley Community College sports complex at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 22, for what is expected to be a 30-minute trip to Nyssa.
A memorial service for Johnson, 43, a reserve corporal with the Nyssa Police Department, is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Nyssa High School gymnasium.
Johnson was shot to death on Saturday, April 15, after responding to a reported disturbance on a residential area north of downtown Nyssa. He was a reserve for the city since 2018 and worked as a behavioral health specialist at Snake River Correctional Institution.
Police and fire agencies from around the West are expected to send representatives to join in the procession and Nyssa ceremony.
According to the Oregon State Police, the procession of family and official vehicles will form in Ontario on Park Boulevard at the John J. Easly Memorial Gymnasium.
The route goes north to Southwest 11th Avenue, then east to Southwest Fourth Street. The procession will turn west onto Southwest 18th Avenue, traveling to Oregon Highway 201 before turning to Nyssa and then south to the high school parking lot.
Citizens are encouraged to line the procession route to pay their respects but should be mindful of going only on public property.
The memorial at the high school is open to the public and overflow venues are being planned in anticipation of a large turnout.
Meantime, the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation continues to collect donations for Johnson’s widow and two children. Donations can be made online, with all funds going to the family, the foundation said.
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