Johnson was born in Laurens County, and after graduating high school he joined the Army. It landed him in Vietnam. On those foreign battlefields he got his first lessons in leadership and survival. Johnson left the Army and was hired by the Greenville Police Department in 1970. Originally, he'd planned on staying for just a few years to get some experience and take his talents to the big city. But Johnson took a liking to Greenville and stayed. And over the next 25 years, Johnson climbed the ranks. He also earned his college degree and graduated from the FBI National Academy. In 1995, he was promoted to major, which made him second in command of the department. In 2000 he succeeded Mike Bridges to become chief when the Civil Service Commission recommended his hiring to City Council.

During his nearly five years on the job, crime has been down in Greenville and the booming downtown area has been safe. Johnson has handled his charge of ensuring the safety of a city population that during the daytime can swell to 200,000 with stern professionalism and a restraint learned through three decades on the job. WJMZ salutes Chief Willie Johnson for showing us the power of discipline and determination.