In the autumn of 1984, the city of East Lansing was struck by a tragedy that would be remembered for decades to come. Patrolman James Spencer Johnson, a 41-year-old White/Caucasian male and a veteran of the United States Army, was killed in the line of duty on October 25th of that year. An 11-year veteran of the East Lansing Police Department, Johnson was a husband and a father to six children.
On that fateful day, Officer Johnson was following up on a report of a stolen vehicle.
His investigation led him to the East Glen Elderly Apartments at 1801 Hagadorn Road. While attempting to arrest a woman inside one of the apartments in connection with the auto theft, a male companion of the woman emerged from a bathroom and shot Officer Johnson in the back of the head, killing him instantly.
The two suspects, identified as Wayne Lamarr Harvey and Patricia Ware, fled the scene on foot. Their escape led them to a nearby residence where their violent spree continued. In an attempt to steal another vehicle, they shot and killed the homeowner. However, their flight from the law was short-lived. Police apprehended both Harvey and Ware near Birch Row and Hagadorn.
In the subsequent legal proceedings, Wayne Lamarr Harvey was convicted of the first-degree murder of Patrolman Johnson and the second-degree murder of the homeowner. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Patricia Ware was acquitted of Officer Johnson's murder but was convicted for the murder of the homeowner and also received a life sentence. The death of Patrolman Johnson remains a somber mark in the history of the East Lansing Police Department as the only officer to be killed in the line of duty.
