ATLANTA — An alleged repeat offender is back behind bars after being arrested on Friday morning, just nine days after being released from the Fulton County Jail.
Channel 2′s Larry Spruill obtained exclusive body camera video that shows what happened after police encountered a suspect in midtown Atlanta after they say he shot at random cars in the area.
“Hey. Put your hands down. Put your hands down,” officers can be heard saying on the video.
Police say not only did convicted felon Kemeron Johns fail to listen to their commands, he also fired shots at APD officers around 2:20 a.m.
“When the officers arrived on the scene, they immediately noticed a window of the apartment complex had been shot out,” said Major Brian Schiffbauer with Atlanta police.
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In the video, officers can be heard giving several more commands.
“Put your hands down... put your hands down. Hands. Hands. Hands,” officers can be heard shouting when Johns fired a shot.
Major Schiffbauer said his officers didn’t fire back.
Instead, the body camera video showed the moment where officers tased Johns. The video also showed what appeared to be a gun falling from his hands.
Police say this is not the first encounter with him.
“Just in Georgia alone, he has been arrested 14 times before. I do know some charges in Texas and Nevada as well. There all violent crimes,” Schiffbauer explained.
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Channel 2 Action News obtained Johns’ criminal record in Fulton County. He was first arrested in Fulton County in 2011, then again in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and, most recently before Friday morning, June 7, 2023.
Spruill asked Schiffbauer about how repeat offenders released from custody.
“Our job is to get them into jail. What happens after that, we can’t control. But we’re going to continue to ensure the safety of our visitors and residents,” he said.
Related to Friday’s incident, Johns was charged with criminal trespass for being on the resident level of Icon Midtown and property damage for shooting out the apartment building’s window.
They say he is also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm under the influence of drugs, reckless conduct, obstruction, possession of a drug-related object and pointing a firearm at a person.
He’s currently being held in the Fulton County Jail.
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