Dallas police officer arrested for soliciting hit man to kill Cowboys' Michael Irvin

Jet, July 15, 1996

A Dallas Police officer was arrested after he allegedly solicited an undercover Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA) to kill Dallas Cowboys, wide receiver Michael Irvin, who is on trial for drug Possession charges.

Reportedly, Johnnie Hernandez, 28, a five-year veteran of the force, handed a sizable deposit - said to be in the thousands of dollars - to an agent posing as a hit man in a murder-for-hire plot to kill Irvin.

The incident adds confusion to an already difficult situation for Irvin, who is currently on trial for drug possession charges. Irvin along with Angela Beck and Jasmine Nabwangu were indicted after a March 4 drug bust in a motel room where police found cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A Fort Worth, TX, television station, which quoted unnamed sources, reported that Beck once lived with Officer Hernandez. Hernandez was also subpoenaed to testify in the Irvin trial.

Dallas Police Chief Ben Click, who cited a judge's gag order not to comment on the case, declined to discuss specifics in the case.

Click did say that Hernandez had ordered the hit on the Super Bowl champion wide receiver "to occur very soon."

Friends and family members were shocked and concerned for Irvin after hearing the news.

"I'm just glad they caught the guy," said star running back and teammate Emmitt Smith in the USA Today.

"This is unbelievable," added cornerback Deion Sanders.