Video released of deputy shooting near Stockton

San Joaquin County released dashcam and body-camera footage on August 4 showing a deputy shooting 46-year-old Erica Lee Johnson during a June 23 traffic stop near Stockton, after a deputy said he saw what appeared to be a gun in her lap. The footage, released by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, shows the deputy approach Johnson’s car at an intersection near Wisconsin and Michigan avenues and order her not to reach for the weapon. Investigators later determined the object was an air-powered replica handgun, according to the sheriff’s office. Johnson was taken to a hospital with injuries the sheriff’s office described as non-life-threatening. ### Why did the deputy stop Johnson’s car in the first place? The sheriff’s office said deputies were responding around 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. on June 23 to a report of an argument between two women near North Moon Avenue in the Country Club area outside Stockton. As a deputy arrived, a car believed to be involved in the disturbance drove away, and the deputy followed it for less than a minute before the driver stopped. (fox40.com) FOX40 reported the driver was Johnson, and Stocktonia identified her as the only person in the car. The stop ended at the intersection of Wisconsin and Michigan avenues, a few blocks from the original disturbance call, according to CBS Sacramento and KCRA. ### What does the released video show? Body-camera footage shows what appears to be a handgun resting in Johnson’s lap as the deputy walks up to the driver’s side window. (fox40.com) The deputy points his firearm at Johnson and warns her not to reach for it. Stocktonia reported the deputy says, “Don’t reach for that. Do you understand me?” before firing a single shot when she appears to move her hand downward. Dashcam footage shows the brief pursuit before the stop, and the body-camera segment captures the shooting within moments of the deputy reaching the vehicle. The sheriff’s office released an edited version of the video this week, Stocktonia reported, and Sheriff Patrick Withrow said in that release that deputies are often required to make “life-or-death decisions” in seconds. (fox40.com) ### Was the gun real? Investigators later determined the weapon visible in Johnson’s lap was an air-powered replica handgun, not a real firearm, according to the sheriff’s office and local reports. The released video and the sheriff’s office account both say the deputy fired after seeing an object that appeared to be a gun during the stop. (fox40.com) Stocktonia reported the replica closely resembled a real pistol. KCRA reported that on June 23, before the video release, the sheriff’s office had declined to answer questions about whether a weapon was found on Johnson or in the car. ### How badly was Johnson hurt? The sheriff’s office said deputies gave medical aid at the scene after the shooting, and Johnson was taken to a hospital. (fox40.com) CBS Sacramento, KCRA and FOX40 all reported that her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. KCRA also reported that the deputy was not injured. The available reports do not specify in the excerpts reviewed where Johnson was struck or how long she remained hospitalized. (kcra.com) ### What charges is Johnson facing? Stocktonia reported Johnson was arrested on multiple charges, including evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, brandishing a firearm replica and reckless driving. (fox40.com) That report said she was being held without bail in the San Joaquin County Jail, citing booking records. The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified the deputy in the excerpts reviewed from the released coverage. (kcra.com) Stocktonia reported the deputy’s identity was not being released. ### What comes next in the case? The August 4 video release is the sheriff’s office’s most detailed public account so far of the June 23 shooting. The next public steps are likely to come through court proceedings against Johnson, additional statements from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, or any outside review of the deputy-involved shooting that authorities announce. (stocktonia.org) (fox40.com)