‘You just instantly know they’re hurting’: Families unite in grief at fallen officers’ memorial

As the names of fallen officers echoed through the memorial service, Shante Johnson stood quietly, her heart breaking for two families whose lives had just changed forever. “You just instantly know that they’re hurting. That their lives will never be the same,” Johnson said, her voice heavy with emotion. “And you kind of start reliving all of the stuff you’ve been through, knowing that that’s all coming down the pipeline.” Johnson knows the pain intimately. Nearly 12 years ago, her husband, Officer Derek Johnson, was ambushed and killed in the line of duty.