Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine this week for a second time. Johnson received North Carolina's highest civilian honor despite a federal lawsuit accusing him of racial profiling.
A federal judge is in the midst of deciding a lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department accusing Johnson of detaining and arresting Latinos without probable cause. Johnson has denied the allegations and won election to a fourth four-year term in November.
The sheriff is believed to be the only person honored twice.. Johnson had won the award, bestowed by the governor, in 2001 after a three-decade career with the State Bureau of Investigation. He says the honor means even more this time.
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