The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has released body-cam video of an incident in which a woman was shot by a deputy during a traffic stop in Stockton after it appears she is reaching for a pistol in her lap.
There was indeed a gun — but it turned out to be an air-powered replica that closely resembled the real thing.
Video from the June 23 encounter shows the deputy, whose identity is not being released, ordering the woman not to make any move toward the gun, which is visible between her legs.
“Don’t reach for that. Do you understand me?” the deputy shouts in the video. “Don’t reach…” and at that point he stops midsentence and fires a single shot toward the perceived threat.
The Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as Erica Lee Johnson, 46. As soon as she was shot, deputies administered emergency medical aid, and she was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, authorities said at the time.
The shooting took place just before noon on June 23 at Wisconsin and Michigan avenues. Deputies had responded to a call about two women arguing on Moon Avenue. When they arrived, she saw a sedan leaving the location and ignoring stop signs as it left the area.
Video from the pursuit shows a deputy activated his siren, and after a short time, Johnson coming to a stop at an intersection. The shooting occurs within moments of the deputy walking up to her car’s driver-side window.
While the shooting was reported by the Sheriff’s Office on social media at the time, the deputy’s body camera video was released this week.
In sharing an edited version of the video, which carries a warning label because of its graphic content, Sheriff Patrick Withrow said the deputy had to make a split-second decision after seeing the woman reaching toward what he believed was a real gun. It’s the kind of challenge law-enforcement officers face every day, he said.
“They are often required to make life-or-death decisions in a matter of seconds,” Withrow said.
Johnson survived the shooting and was arrested on multiple charges, including evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, brandishing a firearm replica and reckless driving. She is being held without bail in the San Joaquin County Jail, according to booking records.