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Canton police knew before murder that man was suspect in Indiana shooting

Umito November 6, 2024

Less than 24 hours before a Canton Township man opened fire in front of his homekilling his neighbor, he was accused of shooting a woman driving with her two children on an Indiana highway, according to court records.

A Canton Township police officer went to Devereaux Johnson’s home on August 9 and saw a man who matched Johnson’s description driving the gray Audi involved in the shooting on Interstate 94 in Chesterton, Indiana , earlier today, according to a probable cause affidavit filed. in the case of Indiana.

Police saw Johnson park and enter his home, but they did not speak to him, according to the probable cause affidavit. Canton Police Chief Chad Baugh said it took time for Indiana State Police to develop probable cause in the case and obtain a warrant, which meant they was “unable at this stage to act upon the police” on August 9 at Johnson’s home.

On Aug. 10, while Nathan Morris, 35, was walking with his family in his Canton Township neighborhood, Johnson allegedly became angry because Morris’ daughter was touching his mulch and shot Morris, killing him.

Johnson was charged Aug. 12 with first-degree murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of felony firearm. During his indictment, cantonal police officer Kyle Fite said Johnson posed a danger to society and had previously assaulted other neighbors, police officers and city employees.

His attorney, Wade McCann, declined to comment.

In the two and a half years before Morris’ murder, Johnson had numerous run-ins with police, according to police reports from the Canton Police Department.

“Our organization and our community knew Mr. Johnson very well, just by the amount of contact we had with him,” Baugh said. “It is important now to know that we are here for the community, this was a horrible event and when the time is right after the court proceedings I will be more than happy to speak about it further.”

Previous police involvement

Johnson was charged last year with misdemeanor assault and battery, as well as felony assault, obstructing or resisting a police officer. The crime was dismissed by prosecutors. Johnson pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to a year of probation, from which he was released in July.

He was convicted of sexual assault in 2005 in Nevada and is listed on Michigan’s sex offender registry.

In April 2022, Johnson called police and said a man was watching him at Planet Fitness while he was on the treadmill, and he did so on another day as well, according to the police report. Johnson said he did not speak to the man, but called police because he did not want a confrontation.

The man told police it was Johnson looking at him. The video shows the two had a conversation the first day they met. On the second day, when police were called, the man never approached Johnson, but Johnson asked the front desk staff to call the police, according to the report.

In June 2023, Johnson was arrested for simple assault and battery. The report involved a man attacking someone working near his home with a shovel, who was later identified as Johnson. Police found Johnson upset and pacing the street, according to the police report.

Johnson allegedly approached them on foot and asked them to speak with them about an incident that occurred the week before, which made Johnson angry, according to the report. The man called someone else to help defuse the situation because he “was aware that Johnson might be getting heated,” according to the police report. Johnson demanded an apology, and the man complied, saying he was sorry Johnson felt threatened.

Johnson became increasingly agitated and made statements about how his friends wanted to come to town and fix the problem. The man said Johnson was holding a grass trimmer that he threw at their truck, according to the police report. The man ran away because it was clear Johnson wanted to fight.

Johnson allegedly followed the man as he left in the truck, yelling at him. He allegedly punched another man three times in the face, according to the police report, and the man grabbed the grass trimmer and used it to try to push Johnson back, according to the report.

Johnson allegedly told police, “I could have killed him, because he picked up the shovel, and I told him to come, so he was coming and I was going to grab him.” …I would have caught that (referring to the shovel). ) and I would have killed them so you should thank me now, that the white boys are alive because of me.

Less than two weeks before the shooting, Johnson went to the Canton Police Department to process his sex offender registration. A police officer served him with a personal protection order that someone had filed against him and he became angry and argumentative in the lobby of the station, shouting profanities and calling people racist, according to the police report detailing the incident .

Canton police also provided The News with two fully redacted police reports, emphasizing that their release would interfere with ongoing police investigations and deprive Johnson of his right to a fair trial.

Baugh declined to say what the cases were related to. Police have asked the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to file charges in one of the cases, but the case is still under review.

Indiana shooting

Johnson was charged Oct. 18 in Porter County, Indiana, in the northwest part of the state, with aggravated battery posing a substantial risk of death, battery with a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, and illegal possession of a firearm. by a serious and violent felon and criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon

He allegedly shot and injured a woman in another vehicle at 1:18 p.m. Aug. 9 on Interstate 94 in Chesterton, Indiana, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Indiana State Police Detective, Ala’a Gamed. A witness reported seeing a man, later identified as Johnson, shoot five to six times at a woman and her two children who were driving alongside him. Johnson reportedly fled after the shooting.

The woman told police that Johnson was in front of her and continued to brake hard to “check the brakes” on her. She moved into another lane to pass him, but as she attempted to pass him, he accelerated and began shooting at her, according to the probable cause affidavit. She was shot in the leg.

A Canton police officer went to Johnson’s home at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 and saw someone matching Johnson’s description arrive and park the car that Indiana police said was involved in the shooting. The vehicle’s owner, who lived with Johnson, said Johnson had his vehicle all day Aug. 9 while driving from Chicago to Michigan.

Fifield said Canton police went to Johnson’s home because she asked him to do so. They didn’t know who the driver of the car was because the registered owner was a woman, and had to do their due diligence to confirm the driver, Fifield said. Once they confirmed Johnson was the driver, they had to wait for the warrant to be signed, he said.

“Unfortunately, things don’t happen in half an hour like they do on TV,” Fifield said. “That’s what people expect. …I know the cantonal police are going after this, but what are you supposed to do? They can’t ask our judge to speed things up, they have no idea where we are in the investigation.”

Baugh said it took time for Indiana State Police to develop probable cause and obtain his warrant, which delayed Johnson’s arrest. The charges weren’t authorized in Indiana until Oct. 18, but Johnson was being held without bail in Wayne County, so there was no emergency.

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