A California sheriff’s office has released body-camera footage from a June traffic stop that ended with a deputy shooting a woman after she appeared to reach toward what looked like a handgun positioned between her legs.
The shooting happened on June 23 in Stockton, but the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office released the video this week as Sheriff Patrick Withrow discussed the split-second decisions deputies can face when they believe a weapon is present.
Deputies initially responded around 11:30 a.m. to a disturbance involving two women near Moon Avenue. The video shows a sedan leaving the area and continuing through stop signs before eventually pulling over at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Michigan Avenue.
The driver, identified as 46-year-old Erika Lee Johnson, is then seen sitting behind the wheel as a deputy approaches and quickly notices what appears to be a pistol positioned in her lap.
Bodycam Captures The Moments Before The Shooting
Please allow a moment for the video to load.
“Don’t reach for that. Do you understand me?” the deputy shouts after approaching the driver’s side of the car.
Johnson remains seated behind the wheel as the deputy continues issuing commands. When she appears to move toward the object, the deputy begins another warning but stops midsentence and fires a single shot. He immediately backs away, calls for assistance, and directs responding deputies to the scene. Johnson received emergency medical aid before being transported to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The object between her legs was later determined to be an air-powered replica pistol rather than a functioning firearm. A photo released with the video shows a realistic-looking black handgun resting on the bloodstained driver’s seat.
Johnson Was Booked The Following Day
Johnson was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail at 12:47 p.m. on June 24 under booking number 26-09567. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office is listed as the arresting agency.
Jail records show she faces one felony count of evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, along with misdemeanor charges of brandishing a firearm replica and reckless driving. Johnson is being held without bail on open charges, and no upcoming court date was listed in the record.
Viewers Focused On The Realistic Replica And Single Shot
Reaction beneath the sheriff’s office video was overwhelmingly supportive of the deputy. Many commenters said the replica looked indistinguishable from a real handgun during the brief encounter and argued that the deputy could not have known it was air-powered.
Several viewers also focused on the fact that the deputy fired only one shot, describing that as restraint during an encounter that unfolded almost immediately after he reached the driver’s window. “All she had to do was comply. She created the situation,” one commenter wrote.
Another viewer said the gun looked real and added that Johnson had been told not to reach toward it. Others thanked the deputy and expressed relief that neither Johnson nor the deputy was killed. A smaller number of commenters questioned accountability and the decision to fire, but most responses centered on the clear commands heard in the video and the danger posed by reaching toward an object that appeared to be a firearm.
The footage has generated considerable debate online, but it also provides a rare look at how quickly an officer-involved shooting can unfold. From the time the deputy reaches Johnson’s window and notices the object in her lap to the moment the shot is fired, only a few seconds pass.
Johnson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.