Parole Denied For Man Who Killed Holliston Police Officer

HOLLISTON, MA — Rolando Jimenez was denied parole once again for the murder of a Holliston police officer in 1981. Jimenez is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of Officer John Johnson — he shot Johnson several times with his own gun.

Holliston police announced on Wednesday that Jimenez was denied parole yet again — the last time he was up for parole was in 2014. Jimenez's parole hearing was on March 21, 2019 and nearly 11 months later, the Massachusetts Parole Board notified Chief Stone that the request was denied.

He will be eligible for another parole review hearing in March 2022.⁣

The murder happened in August of 1981 while Johnson was on patrol and stopped a car that was reported stolen out of Natick. Before Johnson could arrest the men inside, the two men ran off — Johnson caught up with Jimenez. After struggling for a bit, Jimenez got hold of Johnson's gun and shot him several times, including in the chest, then twice more while he was on the ground, fatally wounding him.

At the most recent parole hearing, Chief Stone expressed to the Parole Board,

“Although 37 years have passed since this tragic night, the Town of Holliston, its community, our police department, and the Johnson family still feel the pain of Officer Johnson’s cold-blooded murder. The training room at our police station is inscribed with Officer Johnson’s name and department photo as a peaceful reminder that John is still watching over all of us. Each Spring, we join together as a police department and as a community beside John’s gravesite to remember and memorialize his life. We strive to bring honor to the sacrifice made by Officer John Johnson and pledge to fight back against those who seek to do harm to members of our community. The pain and anguish that is felt by so many remains fresh to this day. I ask that you please give the Johnson family the decency that they deserve and leave inmate Jimenez where such a murdering coward belongs -- in state prison.”