Former Cop Who Fabricated Shooting Story Found Dead

By FEROZE DHANOA (Patch National Staff)

Above: Bryan Johnson is arraigned in September. Photo courtesy of WHDH, 7 News.

The former Millis police officer who allegedly fabricated a story about being shot at and was also facing charges for threatening to bomb a school was found dead in his home Thursday morning.

The Norfolk District Attorney’s office said that Bryan Johnson, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was found at his home by another resident.

Massachusetts State Police detectives assisted Millis police at Johnson’s residence around 3:30 a.m. The DA said there were no signs of foul play and his death is not being investigated as a homicide.

The former officer allegedly phoned in a bomb threat to Millis High School on the same day he reportedly fabricated a shootout with a non-existent suspect, and shot his own police cruiser before crashing it off Forest Road in Millis, where it then caught fire.

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Johnson had been charged with willful communication of a bomb threat to a school in addition to the initial charges of misleading a criminal investigation, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, making a false police report, willful and malicious destruction of property above $250 and wanton destruction of property above $250. He was indicted Nov. 19.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was not initially charged for making the bomb threat, the charge was brought against him after further investigation.