HollyMatkinEdgewater, FL – A man shot his wife in the chest, and then continued to fire his weapon while he chased her through a neighborhood, until police fatally shot him (video below).
Much of the harrowing altercation was captured by officers’ bodycams, WKMG reported.
Karen Johns, 58, secretly called 911 at approximately 10 p.m. on Monday night, as she was being terrorized by her 65-year-old husband Gary Johns, WOFL reported.
She told the dispatcher that her husband had a gun.
“Put the gun down,” Karen was heard saying on the 911 recording. “Why are you doing this? Put the gun down! Help me!”
Karen made two 911 calls, which totaled approximately seven minutes, according to WKMG.
When Gary realized his wife had called 911, the line went dead, police said.
When police pulled up at the residence, they said Karen bolted towards Edgewater Police Sergeant Adam Burris and Officer Samuel Epitropoulos, WKMG reported.
“The first shot that you hear in the bodycamera video is the subject, Gary Johns, firing at his wife,” Edgewater Police Chief David Arcieri said in a press conference.
Gun in hand, Gary chased his terrified wife, and fired more bullets at her as she ran away.
When he refused to stop shooting at the desperately screaming woman, officers were forced to open fire on him, Chief Arcieri said.
Gary was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Karen, who was shot in the upper chest, was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, WKMG reported.
“The officers did what they are trained to do, and I have no doubt their actions saved a life last night,” Chief Arcieri said. “At this time we have not established a motive for Gary Johns’ actions. We do believe alcohol was a factor.”
Chief Arcieri said officers had also responded to the same residence for a domestic violence call in 2002, and that Gary had threatened his then-wife with a firearm on that occasion. He was charged with aggravated battery.
Gary was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, battery, and resisting a law enforcement officer in 2003, WKMG reported. He faced similar charges in 2001.
Both officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, as per standard procedure.
Investigation of the officer-involved shooting will be conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
You can see the video of the incident below: