Kathryn Johnston shooting

Infobox Person
name = Kathryn Johnston


image_size =
caption = Johnston circa 2000-2006
birth_date = c. 1914
birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia
death_date = death date and age|2006|11|21|1914|1|1
death_place = Atlanta, Georgia
relatives = Sarah C. Dozier, niece
spouse =
parents =
children = |

Kathryn Johnston (c. 1914 - November 21, 2006) [cite news |title=2 plead guilty in Atlanta police shooting death. |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18328267/ |publisher=Associated Press at MSNBC|date=April 26, 2007 |accessdate=2007-04-27 |quote=Initially, the medical examiner’s office said Johnston was 88, while her relatives insisted she was 92. Public officials now agree she was 92.] was an elderly Atlanta, Georgia woman who was shot by three undercover police in her home on Neal Street in northwest Atlanta on November 21, 2006, where she had lived for 17 years. She fired a shot into the ceiling after officers pried off burglar bars and broke down her door using a no knock warrant. None of the officers were injured by her gunfire, but Johnston was killed by the officers. [cite news |title=After Atlanta raid tragedy, new scrutiny of police tactics. |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1129/p03s03-ussc.html |publisher=Christian Science Monitor |date=November 29, 2006 |accessdate=2007-02-14 |Author=Jonsson, Patrik] [cite news |title=Police Kill Woman, 92, In Shootout at Her Home. |author=Goodman, Brenda |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/23/us/23atlanta.html?_r=1&sq=Kathryn%20Johnston%20Atlanta%20shot&st=cse&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=5&adxnnlx=1216523178-fNlzALr4bwxsmghYH526dQ |publisher=New York Times |date=November 23, 2006 |accessdate=2007-02-14 ] [cite news |title=Tapes Detail Shootout With Elderly Woman. |author=Bronis, Jason |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101403.html |publisher=Washington Post |date=December 1, 2006 |accessdate=2007-02-14]

hooting

Officers Gary Smith (b. 1968), Gregg Junnier (b. 1966), and Arthur Tesler (b. 1964), were wearing bulletproof vests and carrying riot shields when they entered the home. [cite news |first=Shalia |last=Dewan |coauthors=Brenda Goodman |title=Atlanta Officers Suspended in Inquiry on Killing in Raid. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/28/us/28atlanta.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |publisher=The New York Times |date=November 28, 2006 |accessdate=2007-02-14] It was later determined that Johnston fired one shot, which did not hit any officers. The police officers fired a total of 39 shots, six of which hit Johnston. [cite news |first=Kevin |last=Rowson |title=Two Cops Plead Guilty to Manslaughter |url=http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=96052 |quote=After that single shot was fired, the officers returned 39 rounds. Five or six of them hit Kathryn Johnston, who died from the bullet that struck her in the chest. |work=11alive |date=2007-04-27 |accessdate=2008-07-18] [cite news |title=3 police officers charged in drug raid death |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-26-elderly-shooting_N.htm |work=USA Today |date=2007-04-27 |accessdate=2008-07-18 ] [cite news |first=Bill |last=Torpy |title=Pleas won't end probe of Atlanta police |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070429041222/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/04/27/0427metjohnston.html |work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=2007-04-27 |accessdate=2008-07-18] Police injuries sustained in the raid were due to friendly fire and were not from Johnston's gun.

In an attempt to justify the no-knock warrant, the Atlanta Police Department initially claimed that the police were searching for drug dealers after a police informant was said to have bought crack cocaine at Johnston's home earlier in the day. However, both a federal and state investigation revealed that this was untrue.cite news |title=Police shooting of elderly woman leads to federal probe. |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/27/atlanta.shooting/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=2006-11-27 |accessdate=2007-02-14 ] In the affidavit police used to obtain a search warrant for Johnston's house, Atlanta, Georgia narcotics officers alleged their informant bought drugs inside Johnston's home earlier in the day from a man named "Sam", and that the home had video surveillance equipment justifying the no knock warrant. In an interview with Atlanta television station WAGA a few days after Johnston's shooting, the informant denied having gone to her house and said that after the shooting, the police pressured him to lie and say that he had.

Aftermath

According to WSB-TV in Atlanta, Detective Junnier has told the FBI that some of the information used to obtain the search warrant on Johnston's home was false. [cite news |title=Conflicting Information On Johnston Shooting Case. |url=http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10714490/detail.html |publisher=WSB-TV |date=2007-01-10 |accessdate=2007-02-14 ]

On February 7, 2007, it was announced that Georgia's district attorney would seek felony murder and burglary indictments against the three agents involved. [ [http://alt.cimedia.com/ajc/pdf/0207policeindict.pdf The State of Georgia v. Gregg Junnier, et al.] ] The Rev. Markel Hutchins, acting as spokesman for Johnston's family, said her family members were "stunned and disappointed" by the announcement of the indictments because they believe it will disrupt a larger federal investigation of civil rights violations by the Atlanta Police Department. [cite news |title=Family of Police Shooting Victim Protests Prosecutor’s Actions |publisher=New York Times |date=February 9, 2007 |author=Goodman, Brenda |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/09/us/09atlanta.html]

On April 26, 2007, Smith and Junnier pleaded guilty to manslaughter, violation of oath, criminal solicitation, and making false statements. Smith additionally pleaded guilty to perjury. [cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/26/atlanta.indictments.ap/index.html | title=Police officer, ex-officer plead guilty in woman's killing |publisher=CNN.com |date=April 26, 2007] Furthermore, the federal probe into the police department revealed that Atlanta police routinely lied to obtain search warrants, including often falsifying affidavits. [cite news |url=http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/04/26/0426feds.html |title=Feds: Atlanta police often lie to obtain search warrants |publisher=AJC |date=April 26, 2007]

On May 22, 2008, Tesler was sentenced to 4 years and six months in prison for lying to investigators. He also received 6 months probation and must serve 450 hours of community service. [cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/22/elderly.shootout.ap/index.html |title=Ex-cop gets 4½ years in deadly raid cover-up |publisher=CNN |date=May 22, 2008]

References

Persondata
NAME= Johnston, Kathryn
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH= c. 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH= Atlanta, Georgia
DATE OF DEATH= 2006-11-21
PLACE OF DEATH= Atlanta, Georgia