She fired a warning 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.
After the officers shot Johnston, they left her handcuffed on the floor while she bled to death, and then planted marijuana from their patrol car in her basement to try to help justify the shooting.
Officers Gary Smith, Gregg Junnier, and Arthur Tesler, were wearing bulletproof vests and carrying riot shields when they entered the home.
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. 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. 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.
Detective Junnier has told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that some of the information used to obtain the search warrant on Johnston's home was false.
On February 7, 2007, it was announced that Georgia's district attorney would seek felony murder and burglary indictments against the three agents involved.
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.
Furthermore, the federal probe into the police department revealed that Atlanta police routinely lied to obtain search warrants, including often falsifying affidavits.
On May 22, 2008, Tesler was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for lying to investigators. He also received six months probation and must serve 450 hours of community service.
On October 30, 2008, Tesler pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of Johnston.[17] On February 24, 2009, U.S. District Judge Julie Carnes sentenced former officer Gregg Junnier to six years in prison, Jason Smith to 10 years in prison and Arthur Tesler to five years in prison. Junnier and Tesler had faced recommended 10 years in prison under sentencing guidelines, while Smith faced 12 years and seven months.
Yeah, this will work out really well, rat out your neighbor 'cause his dog messes your lawn.
The fuzz occifers blundered with what they were told, went to the wrong place, then covered up. I don’t think this was revenge for doggy doo....