By . Damien Gayle . Behind bars: Timothy Walker was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the murder of police Sergeant Derek Johnson . A methamphetamine addict who was living out of his car has been jailed for life for shooting dead a police officer who came to check on him when he had broken down. In a courtroom in West Jordan, Utah, Timothy Walker pleaded guilty to the murder of Sergeant Derek Johnson, 32, and was immediately sentenced to life with no possibility of parole. The family of Sergeant Johnson, a married father of one, had considered asking prosecutors to push for a death sentence, but said they were happy with the penalty handed to his killer. Randy Johnson, Sergeant Johnson's father, told KUTV: 'Today the streets are safer, because the man that shot Derek is now off the streets and can't hurt anyone else.' Walker, 34, had been by the sitting in a broken down Volvo by the side of the road with his girlfriend, Traci Vaillancourt, also 34, when Sergeant Johnson had pulled over to check on them on September 1 last year. Sergeant Johnson had not even stepped out of his patrol car when Walker shot him in the right side of his torso with a 9mm Glock pistol. The bullet pierced several of his organs, including his heart, KUTV reported. Walker continued to fire as the Sergeant Walker drove away, the court heard. Critically injured, the policeman eventually veered off the road and smashed into a tree. He later died in hospital. Walker then turned the gun on Vaillancourt, shooting her in the back, before trying to kill himself with a bullet to the head. He missed and the bullet ended up going through his jaw and mouth. Vaillancourt also survived and was left with a bullet lodged in her sternum. She still faces two counts of obstruction of justice after allegedly lying to officers investigating Sergeant Johnson's death. As well as the aggravated murder of Sergeant Johnson, Walker also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Vaillancourt, three counts of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm, and third degree felony possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person. He apologised to the court for his actions. Sergeant Johnson was married to his high school sweetheart Shante Sidwell with whom he had a six-year-old son, Bensen. Walker and Vaillancourt also have a child together, a daughter who lives in full custody of her paternal grandmother. Sergeant Johnson, who had stopped to check on Walker and his girlfriend Traci Vaillancourt, had not even stepped out of his car when Walker shot him. The father-of-one is pictured right with his son Bensen . Walker continued to fire as the Sergeant Walker drove away, the court heard. Critically injured, the policeman eventually veered off the road and smashed into a tree. He later died in hospital . Speaking last year in response to the crime, Vaillancourt's sister Victoria King revealed her sister's downward spiral from aspiring model and TV star to drug-addled homeless woman reliant on her violent boyfriend. After having her first child, Vaillancourt was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Hereditary Angioedema which made her face, throat and limbs swell, her sister said. She says her sister quickly became addicted to her pain medication after suffering four strokes before the age of 30. 'It just went downhill from there,' Ms King told KSL.com last year. 'I tried to get him away from her. She chose a different path. … He was bad news from the get-go, I knew it, and the two of them combined, and a loaded gun nonetheless, and strung out on drugs.' 'We tried and tried and tried to help her but you can't help someone who won't help themself,' she added. Ms King last saw her sister and Walker the day before the shootings and was left startled by his behaviour. 'He got out of the car and he was hyper, showing me a gun that has a laser and a machete and knives,' she said. Walker then turned the gun on Vaillancourt, left, shooting her in the back, before trying to kill himself with a bullet to the head. He missed and the bullet ended up going through his jaw and mouth, right . The couple were trying to talk King into giving them cash - an event which wasn't unusual according to Vaillancourt's older sister. Ms King told Salt Lake Tribune that her sister was not without remorse at what had become of her life but couldn't work her way out of the cycle of addiction. 'She would cry, "I never pictured my life turning out like this",' Ms King told the newspaper. Vaillancourt, pictured right in an old family photo, had slipped into a downward spiral from aspiring model and TV star to drug-addled homeless woman reliant on her violent boyfriend before the killing happened . According to Ms King, Walker gave Vaillancourt attention and Vaillancourt 'was attached to him at the hip'. She says the pair had been living in and out of motels and, at the time of Sergeant Walker's murder, were living out of their car. She says the couple told her they needed protection and that's why they had purchased a cache of weapons. 'I know she was a victim, but I felt like I already lost her a long time ago. My heart is absolutely bleeding for Derek Johnson’s family,' Ms King added in the interview. 'I just want them to know I’m sorry'. After yesterday's sentencing, Mr Johnson, Sergeant Johnson's father, said: 'There's a finality in this that was very difficult to deal with, but there's also comfort that we're reaching to that point where we can say, "Yes, we can now move forward." 'We can find those things that bring us comfort, that help us to celebrate Derek's life and also to pay back to the community.'
Family of Sergeant Derek Johnson say they are satisfied with the sentence .
He was shot by Timothy Walker after he stopped to check on his car .
Walker's girlfriend still faces charges of obstruction of justice .
By . Damien Gayle . Behind bars: Timothy Walker was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the murder of police Sergeant Derek Johnson . A methamphetamine addict who was living out of his car has been jailed for life for shooting dead a police officer who came to check on him when he had broken down. In a courtroom in West Jordan, Utah, Timothy Walker pleaded guilty to the murder of Sergeant Derek Johnson, 32, and was immediately sentenced to life with no possibility of parole. The family of Sergeant Johnson, a married father of one, had considered asking prosecutors to push for a death sentence, but said they were happy with the penalty handed to his killer. Randy Johnson, Sergeant Johnson's father, told KUTV: 'Today the streets are safer, because the man that shot Derek is now off the streets and can't hurt anyone else.' Walker, 34, had been by the sitting in a broken down Volvo by the side of the road with his girlfriend, Traci Vaillancourt, also 34, when Sergeant Johnson had pulled over to check on them on September 1 last year. Sergeant Johnson had not even stepped out of his patrol car when Walker shot him in the right side of his torso with a 9mm Glock pistol. The bullet pierced several of his organs, including his heart, KUTV reported. Walker continued to fire as the Sergeant Walker drove away, the court heard. Critically injured, the policeman eventually veered off the road and smashed into a tree. He later died in hospital. Walker then turned the gun on Vaillancourt, shooting her in the back, before trying to kill himself with a bullet to the head. He missed and the bullet ended up going through his jaw and mouth. Vaillancourt also survived and was left with a bullet lodged in her sternum. She still faces two counts of obstruction of justice after allegedly lying to officers investigating Sergeant Johnson's death. As well as the aggravated murder of Sergeant Johnson, Walker also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Vaillancourt, three counts of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm, and third degree felony possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person. He apologised to the court for his actions. Sergeant Johnson was married to his high school sweetheart Shante Sidwell with whom he had a six-year-old son, Bensen. Walker and Vaillancourt also have a child together, a daughter who lives in full custody of her paternal grandmother. Sergeant Johnson, who had stopped to check on Walker and his girlfriend Traci Vaillancourt, had not even stepped out of his car when Walker shot him. The father-of-one is pictured right with his son Bensen . Walker continued to fire as the Sergeant Walker drove away, the court heard. Critically injured, the policeman eventually veered off the road and smashed into a tree. He later died in hospital . Speaking last year in response to the crime, Vaillancourt's sister Victoria King revealed her sister's downward spiral from aspiring model and TV star to drug-addled homeless woman reliant on her violent boyfriend. After having her first child, Vaillancourt was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Hereditary Angioedema which made her face, throat and limbs swell, her sister said. She says her sister quickly became addicted to her pain medication after suffering four strokes before the age of 30. 'It just went downhill from there,' Ms King told KSL.com last year. 'I tried to get him away from her. She chose a different path. … He was bad news from the get-go, I knew it, and the two of them combined, and a loaded gun nonetheless, and strung out on drugs.' 'We tried and tried and tried to help her but you can't help someone who won't help themself,' she added. Ms King last saw her sister and Walker the day before the shootings and was left startled by his behaviour. 'He got out of the car and he was hyper, showing me a gun that has a laser and a machete and knives,' she said. Walker then turned the gun on Vaillancourt, left, shooting her in the back, before trying to kill himself with a bullet to the head. He missed and the bullet ended up going through his jaw and mouth, right . The couple were trying to talk King into giving them cash - an event which wasn't unusual according to Vaillancourt's older sister. Ms King told Salt Lake Tribune that her sister was not without remorse at what had become of her life but couldn't work her way out of the cycle of addiction. 'She would cry, "I never pictured my life turning out like this",' Ms King told the newspaper. Vaillancourt, pictured right in an old family photo, had slipped into a downward spiral from aspiring model and TV star to drug-addled homeless woman reliant on her violent boyfriend before the killing happened . According to Ms King, Walker gave Vaillancourt attention and Vaillancourt 'was attached to him at the hip'. She says the pair had been living in and out of motels and, at the time of Sergeant Walker's murder, were living out of their car. She says the couple told her they needed protection and that's why they had purchased a cache of weapons. 'I know she was a victim, but I felt like I already lost her a long time ago. My heart is absolutely bleeding for Derek Johnson’s family,' Ms King added in the interview. 'I just want them to know I’m sorry'. After yesterday's sentencing, Mr Johnson, Sergeant Johnson's father, said: 'There's a finality in this that was very difficult to deal with, but there's also comfort that we're reaching to that point where we can say, "Yes, we can now move forward." 'We can find those things that bring us comfort, that help us to celebrate Derek's life and also to pay back to the community.'
of Sergeant Derek Johnson, 32, and was said they were happy with the penalty handed to faces two counts of obstruction of justice after stopped to check on Walker and his girlfriend his car when Walker shot him. The father-of-one