BELLEVUE, Tn – Zachary Johnson, 40, the man involved in Thursday afternoon’s and this morning’s standoff with MNPD SWAT officers at his General George Patton Drive home, will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault for firing a gun at SWAT officers as they attempted to get him to surrender during the night.
Investigators from the District Attorney’s Office went to Johnson’s home on Thursday afternoon in an attempt to serve two arrest warrants charging him with stalking and harassing/threatening an Assistant District Attorney who had represented Johnson in the past. Johnson refused to come out and police were called. After the first officers arrived and backup was called, Johnson came out of the house briefly carrying a long gun and then went back inside.
For hours, Johnson refused to come out of the residence despite repeated announcements over a loud speaker, a lengthy phone conversation with a police negotiator, and the deployment of tear gas into the home. After Johnson shot at the officers, a SWAT member returned fire. No one was hit in the exchange. Johnson emerged at 2:45 a.m. and was taken into custody with the assistance of a police canine unit after fire was seen coming from the residence.
The origin of the fire remains under investigation.
Johnson was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Per a MOU between the MNPD, TBI and District Attorney, the TBI is conducting the investigation into the SWAT officer’s gunfire.
