TN+Homicide+Local+Case

Nikolaus Johnson is accused of ambushing Bristol, Tennessee police officer Mark Vance in November 2004 shooting him in the face with a .357 magnum. Vance was responding to a domestic disturbance call over Johnson getting his 17 (at the time) year-old girlfriend pregnant. (It's reported she had triplets.) Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

All during the trial he showed no remorse, and regardless of some forensics questions, his own words on tape (in the police car) buried him. He tried to fire his attorneys, refused to present mitigating testimony, then changed his mind. Both he and his family played the race card, the jury didn't buy it. They sentenced him to death.

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