ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A 911 call released by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday details the scary events leading up to deputies fatally shooting an armed man on US-1.
In a press conference on Wednesday morning, Sheriff Robert Hardwick explained the investigation and pursuit of Kristopher Lee Johnson, who was armed when he was killed in the middle road on Tuesday afternoon.
Hardwick said Johnson started showing concerning behavior following a breakup with his girlfriend over the past two weeks.
Johnson, 43, is from New York but has lived in St. Johns County. Hardwick said he has a history of criminal violence in New York and St. Johns County.
Hardwick said on Tuesday morning, his ex-girlfriend went to the St. Augustine City Police Department at about 10 a.m. to report that she was concerned about stalking following a breakup. The police recommended that she seek a protection order.
Hardwick said at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office got a 911 call from Johnson as he was meeting with a man, identified as the victim, at a place off International Golf Parkway. Hardwick said they were coworkers.
Johnson didn’t directly speak with the operator while on the call, but they could be heard arguing, and the victim was begging for his life.
“Get the f*** on your knees now...I’m gonna f******...get down now! I’m telling you it’s going to happen,” Johnson said.
The operator asked repeated questions that are typical for a dispatch, but Johnson never replied and continued arguing. Multiple gunshots could be heard on the call.
Hardwick said that at this point, the man hid under his truck while Johnson continued to shoot at him. Johnson either had to reload or the gun jammed, giving the man enough time to escape.
Johnson got into his car and drove to the construction site off Thomas Industry Way, but he didn’t find the man.
Johnson then went back to the site where the incident happened, deputies said. He then got into the victim’s truck and drove it down Thomas Industry Way and headed back towards International Golf Parkway. Still, he didn’t know the victim jumped into another truck on the road begging for his life, telling that person to stop driving, call 911 and that he knows who the shooter is.
A deputy found the truck that Johnson was driving and stopped it with a PIT maneuver. Johnson got out of the car and said, “Go ahead, shoot me!” while waving his gun in the air.
Gunshots from deputies can be heard on the call, hitting Johnson. Deputies rendered aid and he was taken to a hospital where he died that evening.
Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said, based on the 911 call alone, this was a tense and dangerous situation for the caller.
“It’s really frightening when you realize that the dispatcher has no clue of what’s going on,” Hackney said.
Although Johnson was fleeing, deputies had the legal authorization to shoot him because he was still armed and posed an immediate threat to innocent bystanders if he was allowed to continue running away.
“He’s on a crowded road. The video that we watched was from a citizen passing by. You’ve already heard the 911 call to know what happened before that and the lengths this guy could go to hurt somebody. The deputy at the scene has milliseconds to make a judgement about what he’s seeing, what’s happened and what potentially could happen,” Hackney said.
This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with home, business, or cell phone video related to this investigation can click this link to upload it.
You may also email crimetips@sjso.org or call 904-824-8304 and request to speak to Sgt. Gene Tolbert.