A Chicago man is facing federal charges after police allege he hijacked a car at gunpoint, crashed it on the South Side of Chicago, and fired a shot at police before being apprehended. In 2018, the feds announced that they planned on trying more carjacking cases in federal court. David Johnson is the lucky beneficiary of that initiative. He is the first man to face charges under the federal initiative.
At the time of the carjacking, David Johnson was on supervised release after he was found guilty of weapons charges. The US Attorney told the press that would-be carjackers had better watch out, “Committing a senseless act of violence like carjacking will earn you a home in federal prison for a long time.”
The Carjacking
The victim had just arrived home and was still sitting in his Mercedes when Johnson approached the vehicle, pressed the barrel of a pistol to the man’s face, and demanded that he turn over his keys. The man complied and called police who caught up with Johnson only minutes later after a description of the vehicle was broadcast over police radio. An officer spotted the vehicle and began following it. When Johnson realized he was spotted, the chase escalated to high speeds. Johnson eventually crashed the vehicle into a parked car and proceeded to flee on foot.
While the chase continued on foot, one police officer says that Johnson turned around and fired at him. The police officer recalls hearing the blast of the gun and seeing the muzzle flash. He was not struck by the bullet. A .45 shell was found at the scene.
Elements of Guilt
The officers identified Johnson as the one who they were chasing. The victim “tentatively” identified Johnson from a police lineup. The victim’s wallet was found in an area where Johnson had run. The gun was found in the Mercedes. What doesn’t make sense here?
While newspaper articles cannot be definitely used to determine guilt, it does not make sense that Johnson exited the stolen vehicle, ran around with a gun, fired at police, and then the gun was found in the Mercedes that Johnson allegedly had left. The story does not add up on its merits. It almost sounds as if the police chased Johnson around and then ended up finding someone else who decided they were not going to prison today. Unless Johnson fired at police, then returned the gun back to the Mercedes, the gun should have been found elsewhere. The story does not add up.
That being said, they can test the gun and Mercedes for fingerprints. We do not know if the author of the article misinterpreted something in the police report or the police report is really that confused. However, if the gun was found in the Mercedes and the gun has Johnson’s fingerprints on it, then the question becomes: Who fired the shot at the police?
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
If you are named in a confusing police report, call the Chicago criminal defense lawyer, David Freidberg today. We take our duty to our clients seriously and will ensure the police leave no stone unturned before building their case. Call us today at (312) 560-7100 to learn more about how we can help.