Officers won't be charged in deadly shooting of Fayetteville woman suffering mental health crisis
Attorney General Josh Stein on Tuesday announced the Fayetteville officers who shot a woman outside her grandparents' home in July will not face charges.
Jada Johnson, 22, was shot 17 times during a July 1, 2022, struggle with police. Months later, her family announced they had filed a federal lawsuit against the Fayetteville officers involved.
Stein said charges will not be brought against the officers because "evidence shows that the officers faced a deadly threat and acted reasonably in response."
Johnson's grandparents and daughter, who is now 3 years old, watched on July 1, 2022, as she was gunned down by police in front of her grandparents' home.
On Wednesday, a meeting lasted about 90 minutes between the North Carolina Department of Justice and Johnson's grandparents.
Johnson grandfather Richard Iwanski did not speak on camera, but when he came down the courthouse steps, he said, "I have some disappointing news."
Iwanski said his daughter was murdered and he plans to take the litigation to the next level.
"Even though we disagree with their decision, we're not surprised," said civil rights attorney Xavier de Janon. "It's tragic, but this is consistent with what has been happening with the [North Carolina Department of Justice] with officer killings, officer shootings in North Carolina."
Despite the decision from the Department of Justice, Johnson's family still plans to pursue its civil case in court.
Stein also is calling for the release of all body camera video associated with the incident in the interest of transparency.
Fayetteville police were called to the home on July 1, 2022, because she was suffering a mental health crisis, her family says. Johnson thought her estranged boyfriend was breaking into the home trying to harm her.
Ring security camera video shows officers arriving and entering the home.
Attorneys say at some point Johnson pulled a handgun and pointed it at her own head. When she put the weapon down, officers tackled her, and shots were fired. Attorneys say while Johnson was on the floor bleeding and not a threat, an officer fired more rounds into her body.
"This morning, they unfortunately, told us that they will not prosecute the officers that committed the killing of Jada Johnson," said de Janon.
Johnson had been living with her grandparents after being treated at a hospital for a mental health crisis.
“In her crisis, she believes that her ex-boyfriend is out to get her because he has actually looked for her before and he is sending her threatening messages that threaten her, her baby and her grandparents. So in her crisis, she calls 911 multiple times,” a spokesperson for the family explained.
Weeks after Johnson's death, the Fayetteville Police Department released the 911 calls from the shooting.
“Someone just tried to kick my door,” Johnson said in one of the phone calls. “They’re coming into my house now. They just tried to kick the doors. We hear them coming in the house now. We need help right now.”
Johnson said four people were inside the house. She told dispatchers it included a 2-year-old baby and two dogs. She also said they were hiding in their closet at one point.
In multiple recordings, Johnson accuses the dispatcher of hanging up on her.
The dispatcher also repeatedly asks Johnson where her daughter is in one of the calls. In the same call, Johnson claims her daughter is dead before hanging up.
Fayetteville Assistant Police Chief James Nolette said officers said they could not find any evidence that a home break-in occurred when they arrived at the scene.
After talking with officers for nearly an hour, Nolette said, Johnson pulled out a firearm and threatened to harm herself. Police said her grandmother and her daughter, who were "in harm's way," were next to her.
Nolette said officers "relentlessly" tried to get the woman to put the weapon down.
"It just escalated very quickly," Nolette said.
Johnson's autopsy shows she was shot in the head, arm, hip and torso. At the time of death, she had alcohol and methamphetamine in her system.
Asked about the lawsuit, Fayetteville police said they could not comment on a case that is under litigation.
