Perry PD rallies to aid fellow officer

Lieutenant Jack Johnson has served with the Perry Police Department (PPD) for almost 26 years, getting his start in June of 1996. He was raised to the rank of lieutenant in 2006 and works as a Senior Lieutenant in the Patrol Division. His fellow officers describe Johnson as a fighter, and that’s a good thing because today, he is in the fight of his life.

“This started last year, and for a little bit of time, we weren’t sure what was going on,” said PPD Sgt. Brian Mixon. “But then the diagnosis came in the spring of 2021, so it’s being going on now for not quite a year.”

Of the exact diagnosis, Mixon was not certain, but he shared that Lt. Johnson is in an intense battle with a form of cancer.

“I don’t think it’s been much of a secret,” he said. “We don’t know the specific verbiage for this type sickness, but we do know that he has been going through cancer treatments.”

For those who keep up with the goings on in Perry Police Department, Mixon said it’s pretty widely known as there have been online postings regarding Johnson’s battle.

“We have a saying around here, and we want to remind Lt. Johnson of it,” Mixon stated. “No one here fights alone.”

Proving that it’s not just a slogan, members of Perry Police Department are rallying to raise money to help offset the mounting medical costs of Johnson’s medical treatments. One primary way in which they are doing this offers an opportunity for citizens in and around Perry and Houston County to help. They have created T-shirts and are selling them to bring in much-needed funds. It was an idea that was first planted in the heart of Corporal Eddrica Gary of PPD.

“This is something that we just started doing maybe a week or two ago,” Gary shared. “Before that, we were reaching out to people to see who could help us come up with a design for the shirt. Once we got that, we decided to go ahead and make it happen.”

The shirts are available in youth sizes as well as adult sizes up to 4XL, and Gary is encouraging the residents throughout the county to purchase.

“The deadline was January 31,” she said, “but since you’re doing this story for us in the paper, we are going to extend the deadline to February 14, Valentine’s Day. This will give everybody a little bit more time. Plus, people have still been reaching out and asking how they can donate, so we want to make sure the entire community of Perry and Houston County can be involved.”

Purchasing and wearing the shirt on any given date, she stressed, would be a way for citizens to show support for one of Perry’s finest. Helping to lessen the load on Johnson’s family as he endures this fight is a mission of priority for those who are protect and serve with him.

Lt. Johnson’s wife is Dr. Johnson, the vice principal of Veterans High School. They have been married for over 30 years and have two sons in college—one in Georgia Tech and the other in Georgia State.

“Lt. Johnson is the type of guy who would be the first one to do this same kind of thing for someone else,” Mixon pointed out. “He’s a man of faith, and helping others is just a part of his character.”

The costs of the “Jack Strong” shirts range from $20 for the youth and XS to XL adult sizes to $25 for the 2XL to 4XL adult sizes. All proceeds will go to Lt. Johnson and his family. Those who would like to support are urged to contact Cpl. Eddrica Gary via email at eddrica.gary@perry-ga.gov or on her cell at (478) 286-0268.

“We want him to know, we want his family to know and we want the community to know that we are rallying for him,” Mixon stated. “We hope it’s a morale booster for his family. He’s having a tough time,” he added. “He’s a fighter that’s in the middle of a crazy fight right now. He’s always been positive; he’s a tough guy who played college football at University of West Alabama where he got his bachelor’s degree. He also has a master’s degree from Columbus State.” Mixon paused and added, “I don’t know … he’s that guy. We want to do everything we can because he’s just that guy.”

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