Retired Judge Fatally Shoots Himself at Home

The situation in Bowie yesterday in which an armed man was barricaded inside a house was unusual. The man inside, who seemed agitated and had fired a shot in the air, had been a judge of the Circuit Court. And even among his fellow members of the Prince George's County bench, he was regarded as one of the most formal and correct.

Judge G.R. Hovey Johnson, 76, who retired in 2000, was known as stern and serious, a hard-working Army veteran, a man who had a friendly side but brooked little nonsense during more than 15 years of meting out justice. A pillar of the law.

According to preliminary reports, Johnson's wife, the only other occupant of the house, fled unharmed about midday and called police. Officers made contact, then could not reach Johnson for hours, as they waited outside, trying to coax him into a peaceful surrender. When they entered the house last night, they found Johnson dead of a gunshot wound they said was self-inflicted.

Police said they had received indications that the judge might have been suffering from dementia or possibly Alzheimer's disease.

Almost everyone used some form of the word "tragic" late last night as the news spread throughout the county in which the judge had been a fixture for years.

"It's a true tragedy, not only for himself but for the community," said Glenn F. Ivey, the county's chief prosecutor.

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), Ivey's predecessor as chief prosecutor, said he was saddened by the death of "a really nice person."

"He was like a teacher to me," Johnson said. "A serious professor."

The judge was "helpful in many ways," Johnson said. "It's real tragic that it happened this way. . . . Everybody is shocked."

The standoff began shortly after 11 a.m., when police responded to what some officials said was thought to be a domestic dispute at the judge's home in the 16000 block of Audubon Lane in Bowie, said police Maj. Michael Blow.

He said that Johnson fired one shot and that his wife, Joan, was able to escape the house unharmed. But Johnson refused to leave the house, and police described him as potentially suicidal.

According to Cpl. Diane Richardson, a police spokeswoman, Johnson had "appeared agitated and indicated that he may want to hurt himself."