Joshua Johnson, 35

Houston, Texas
April 22, 2020

Agencies: US Marshals Service Southern District Texas | Harris County Sheriff's Office Texas

Cause of death: Shooting

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Last updated: almost 4 years ago

Overview

According to investigators, the 35-year-old Joshua Johnson was shot April 22 when he approached the car of an undercover officer with a cell-phone flashlight and a BB-gun, which the deputy later said looked like a realistic hand gun. The shooting occurred outside a home in the 15100 block of East Ritter Drive where the victim was watching over the house of a neighbor who was in the hospital. The deputy was a member of the Gulf Coast Task Force planning to issue a felony arrest warrant at a nearby residence. But all that changed when shortly before sunrise, Johnson reportedly tapped on the window of the deputy’s unmarked car. Investigators say words were exchanged and Johnson was shot at least once.

The deputy was not wearing a body camera and his car did not have a dashcam to record the incident. Family members and neighbors questioned information provided by investigators, such as a witness who lives nearby who claims to have not been interviewed by detectives and others who dispute certain details of the shooting, which occurred in the Fondren Park neighborhood of Missouri City.

Robert Pringle, who lives across the street from where the shooting occurred, said he had at least four cars parked in his driveway that day, almost blocking access to his garage, where he discovered a bullet lodged in the garage door. Pringle stood in the spot where investigators say Johnson was shot and then walked with reporters across to his garage where the bullet was found.