Family members of victims of a domestic violence incident Thursday are questioning why deputies did not forcibly remove a man from a home after he allegedly shot multiple rounds inside.
Gregory J. Johnston, 30, was in Mesa County Jail on Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond for allegedly shooting guns and using a sword to slash walls and the floor in the his Orchard Mesa home during a domestic violence incident.
According to the arrest affidavit, a woman and three children were in the home when Johnston went into a rage and shot up a cedar chest, shot rounds into the living room floor and fired multiple rounds into the garage. The woman and children were able to leave the home after Johnston, who later told deputies he had been drinking alcohol, passed out on the bed. During the incident, the woman had texted “Help me” to a friend who then called authorities to the home.
Deputies did not perform SWAT maneuvers because there was not a land line into the home and no way to contact Johnston by phone, the affidavit said.
Mesa County Sheriff’s Department Spokeswoman Heather Benjamin said Monday that Sheriff Stan Hilkey would be out all week and unavailable for comment about the incident. Any other details of SWAT operations could not be discussed, Benjamin said.
According to the affidavit, Sgt. Peter Schimek called Lt. David Holdren by telephone asking for advice about proceeding after the woman in the home told deputies Johnston had passed out on the bed.
The affidavit said, “Lt. Holdren advised that since there was no neighbors injured or complaining, no immediate threat to anyone since we had already removed (the victims) then we would try calling into Greg but that we would not make entry. It was decided that since Greg and (a victim) do not have a land line in the house and (a victim) had the only cell phone with her we would pull back and let Greg sleep. Since we could not make contact with Greg at this time deputies would contact him in the morning after he was more rational.”
Deputies were not able to locate a third gun used in the incident after a neighborhood canvass and Johnston could not remember where he put the weapon, the affidavit said.
Johnston turned himself in to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department on Friday with the assistance of a pastor from the Landmark Baptist Church where he was receiving counseling for an alcohol addiction, the affidavit said.
Johnston faces three counts of menacing, tampering with evidence and a bail bond violation, all felonies, and misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment, child abuse, criminal mischief, prohibited use of a weapon and harassment.
Email AMY HAMILTON
Comments
By concerned
Nov 4, 2009 10:39 PM | Link to this
i agree with cg123blue. the american people should be able to take matters into their own hands. at least they have the brains to take an unstable man who just shot up a house into custody. god forbid that they actually do what they are paid for.....
By concerned
Nov 4, 2009 10:14 PM | Link to this
just so you know i have people complaining about me and the people i work with everyday. you just have to take it with a grain of salt and get over it. just deal with the fact that a mistake was made and its not going to go away.
By cg123 blue
Nov 4, 2009 10:01 PM | Link to this
I know I spelled AMERICANS wrong.So have at it.Tell me how stupid I am.I can take it.
By cg123 blue
Nov 4, 2009 9:55 PM | Link to this
If they did there job this would not be an issue,but they did not do there job so it is an issue.Just go's to show you that we cant count on any kind of law,so maybe us AMECICANS need to take matters in our own hands.
By Why?
Nov 4, 2009 6:34 PM | Link to this
Why are so many people critical of police officer's? How would you feel if people constantly called your boss to complain? You do your job, let them do theirs.
By just a mom
Nov 4, 2009 9:20 AM | Link to this
I was glad to read the counseling Mr. Johnston was receiving form the Landmark baptist church was working. I hope they arn't counseling his family. Don't they know alchol addiction requires more than prayer?
By Rachele
Nov 3, 2009 9:46 PM | Link to this
I believe that the cops did a horrible job in the way that they handled him. They should have never let him "sleep it of". Thats a bunch of crap! How do you let a man that is drunk shot up a house with the mother and kids in it and not to anything about it. Who can justify letting him sleep after that when he has time to start covering up the bullet holes the next morning. Not to mention the fact that there is now a gun missing that no one can find and he has every opportunity to get to again when he gets out. I think the cops need to get things together and do there job right! They have no idea if he would have woken up in the middle of the night and started shooting again or going after the mother and children. I dont agree how things were handled at all!
By concerned
Nov 3, 2009 9:35 PM | Link to this
I also want to know if Stan Hilkey is out of town who is watching his great team of morons? I just want to know who is going to stop all the crazy shooters that are left at home to " sleep it off..."
By concered
Nov 3, 2009 9:24 PM | Link to this
You " Katana" talked about the " Victims" being safe because they were wisked away by police and Greg was " sleeping it off" but did you actually sit down and wonder what is happening to the kids? I know that if my dad shot up the house and i was watching and wondering if he was going to shoot me i would be having issues. I think that the police dropped the bomb by not arresting him on the spot. Way to go Grand Junction's finest.....
By Outraged
Nov 3, 2009 9:13 PM | Link to this
A month ago we all read in the paper about Greg Johnston spray painting gang symbols all up and down North Avenue. Here it is less than a month later, and he is shooting up his house. What a great guy! The way I see it, the Mesa County Sheriffs Department dropped the ball on this one. I can not believe that they did not arrest this guy that night. What if he had woke up and continued his shooting rampage?? Letting him "sleep it off" makes absolutely no sense to me! I am outraged by their actions!
[1 2] next
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F, except on Tuesday when it's open until 9 p.m.
Post a comment
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.