Cop killing Missouri man executed by lethal injection

A Missouri man who killed a police officer he blamed for his brother's death in what friends have described as a 'crime of passion' was executed on Tuesday after refusing a final statement and meal. Kevin Johnson, 37, died by lethal injection of pentobarbital at the state prison in Bonne Terre for the 2005 murder of Kirkwood Police Officer William McEntee Johnson did not make a final statement and refused his last meal but spoke with his spiritual advisor, Reverend Darryl Gray in the moments prior to his execution Dailymail.com tried contacting Gray, who after the execution, said he needed time to regroup because he didn't believe Johnson deserved to die McEntee, a husband and father of three, was sent to Johnson's home on July 5, 2005, to serve a warrant for his arrest 'He said he was looking forward to seeing his baby brother and he said he was ready.' She said she was 'close to her father' having witnessed her mother's murder age 4 Johnson her only remaining parent Ramey expressed sorrow at the decision and appealed to the Missouri governor for clemency for her father who she built a relationship while he was in prison A photo provided by the ACLU shows Ramey, 19, introducing her newborn son to her father Kevin Johnson in prison last month 'My dad is the most important person in my life. They didn't challenge Johnson's guilty plea, but claimed that racism played a role in the jury's decision to execute him Sparkle Haney, 41, a former correctional worker and friend of Johnson said Johnson's final moments were adverse to his mental health and he 'barely slept' Johnson was the second man sentenced to death in Missouri in 2022, but the first of three in the coming months Johnson testified at trial that McEntee kept his mother from entering the house to help his dying brother. A crowd of protesters gather outside the Missouri Governor's Mansion to contest the state execution of Johnson About 30 people gathered outside, chanting and holding signs, including a big red banner that said 'Stop State Murder' as Capitol police stood at the mansion's driveway gate Missouri has seen an uptick in death penalty rates, the highest number of executions still recorded in 2015, in which 10 people died.