Police Officer Recounts Militia Leader Pointing Rifle at Him

Grandmaster Jay, left, leader of NFAC, speaks with police before a march of his group and supporters in Louisville, Ky., on July 25, 2020. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky.–The trial of all-black militia leader John Johnson continued on May 25 with Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Sgt. Tim Nett describing to a jury what it was like to have the defendant point an AR-15 rifle at him during the civil unrest of 2020.

Johnson stands accused of aiming his rifle at law enforcement officers who were conducting rooftop surveillance during a Sept. 4, 2020, protest in Louisville over the police killing of Breonna Taylor.

Nett said he was on the rooftop of the Louisville grand jury building that night when he was told over police radio that Johnson’s Not [Expletive] Around Coalition (NFAC) was approaching his position. Nett said he looked over the rooftop to monitor Johnson and about 12 of his colleagues, and he immediately had a light shined on him.

“As I look down, I get a light directly in my face. My immediate reaction was to pull away from the ledge,” Nett said. “I was also blinded [in that moment].”

Nett’s involvement in the incident was brief, he said. Johnson continued walking to a park where a demonstration was taking place, and he wouldn’t be charged over the matter until about three months later.

Despite characterizing Johnson as a danger to police officers and the public, Nett said he and his fellow law enforcers—who included members of the FBI and Secret Service—didn’t arrest him that night because they were “outgunned.”

As he had done in his opening argument, defense attorney Donald Meier scrutinized law enforcement’s decision to allow Johnson to continue walking freely throughout Louisville for the rest of the night, as well as for the next day, which was the running of the Kentucky Derby.

Meier asked Nett why police didn’t put Johnson under surveillance and arrest him when he was unarmed and separate from the NFAC.

“I can’t speak to anyone else’s decisions. The plan was to deal with it later ... Our resources were at a bare minimum,” Nett said.

“So, on the list of priorities for keeping the city safe, it was a low priority?” Meier asked.

Nett disagreed that it was a low priority, but said the immediate danger had passed when Johnson stopped pointing his rifle at the officers.

Meier pressed further.

“If you point a weapon at another human being, you’re a threat—especially someone with a vendetta against the police. If Johnson wanted to kill police, that’s extreme danger. Right?” the defense counsel asked.

“Yes,” the police sergeant responded.

“And yet, it was more important for you to remain on the rooftop than to apprehend that individual?” Meier asked again.

“We knew it could be dealt with later,” Nett said.

After the prosecution reexamined Nett, he stepped down and Louisville councilman David James took the stand.

James interacted with Johnson throughout the summer of 2020, meeting on conference calls to discuss the NFAC’s plans to come to Louisville.

James said Johnson wanted to bring the NFAC to Louisville amid the state attorney general’s investigation into the killing of Breonna Taylor.

The councilman said he tried to persuade Johnson not to come because of the potential for danger. He said he initially pacified Johnson by promising him a meeting with the attorney general about the investigation into the police.

Johnson agreed, and someone at the mayor’s office was supposed to coordinate the meeting—but never did.

“I thought that was a mistake,” James said, suggesting that the canceled meeting spurred the NFAC to travel to Louisville.

James was still on the stand and had yet to be cross-examined as of the publication of this article.