Kevin Johnson was executed on Nov. 29 for murdering Kirkwood Police Officer William McEntee.
AP
A Missouri man who killed a police officer he blamed for his youthful brother’s dying was executed Tuesday night time.
Kevin Johnson died by deadly injection of pentobarbital on the state jail in Bonne Terre for the 2005 homicide of Kirkwood Police Officer William McEntee, a criminal offense he dedicated when he was 19 years outdated.
The 37-year-old inmate didn't make a remaining assertion, however spoke together with his non secular advisor, the Rev. Darryl Grey, within the moments earlier than the deadly drug was administered.
Grey learn from the Bible because the drug labored by way of Johnson’s system. Inside seconds, Johnson ceased transferring, however Grady continued praying whereas patting Johnson’s shoulder.
Although Grey, a number one St. Louis racial injustice activist, was current for Johnson’s final moments in a primary for contemporary executions in Missouri, Johnson’s daughter was noticeably absent.
Khorry Ramey, 19, filed a request to witness her father’s dying with the assistance of the ACLU, however a federal choose upheld state regulation barring people beneath the age of 21 from being current at executions.
Ramey, who was 2 when Johnson was arrested, referred to as her father “crucial particular person in my life” and claimed he labored arduous to rehabilitate himself throughout his time in jail.
Johnson accepted his destiny in his remaining moments, Grey stated.
“He apologized once more. He apologized to the sufferer’s household. He apologized to his household. He stated he was wanting ahead to seeing his child brother. And he stated he was prepared,” stated Grey.
Johnson was sentenced to dying after killing McEntee in a scenario that started with the officer serving an arrest warrant, however devolved right into a deadly night.
When McEntee confirmed up on the home to ship the warrant to Johnson, who police believed violated the probation he was on for assaulting his girlfriend, Johnson’s 12-year-old brother Joseph “Bam Bam” Lengthy ran subsequent door to his grandmother’s home, the place he collapsed and had a seizure.
McEntee allegedly restricted the boys’ mom from coming into the house to assist Bam Bam and the boy later died at a hospital.
Upon seeing McEntee within the neighborhood later that night, Johnson approached the officer whereas he was in his automobile and shot him by way of the open passenger-side window. He struck him within the leg, head and torso earlier than getting within the automobile and taking McEntee’s gun.
Johnson additionally struck a youngster who was within the automobile with McEntee, however the teen survived.
Johnson instructed his mom that McEntee “let my brother die” and “must see what it feels wish to die.” Regardless of his mom’s pleas that McEntee wasn’t answerable for Bam Bam’s dying, Johnson returned to McEntee’s automobile to complete the job.
McEntee was alive and on his knees close to the automobile. Johnson shot McEntee within the again and within the head, killing him.
Johnson and his attorneys have filed a number of appeals asking the state to spare his life through the years, together with one filed only one week earlier than his execution.
The Nov. 22 enchantment argued Johnson’s trial was “contaminated” with racist prosecution strategies and that claimed racism performed a job in his dying penalty sentencing — Johnson was black and McEntee was white. The Supreme Courtroom of Missouri denied the keep of execution Monday.
Although they by no means denied that he dedicated the homicide, they argued his age on the time of the crime and his historical past of psychological sickness ought to overturn his dying sentence.
Johnson’s execution is Missouri’s second this yr and the seventeenth nationally. Missouri has two extra executions scheduled for the primary few weeks of 2023.
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