In the late summer of 2014, a confrontation in a Chandler, Arizona, neighborhood ended in the death of 59-year-old Donald Richard Johnson. On the morning of August 8th, several bail bondsmen arrived at a residence near Dobson and Warner roads with the intention of apprehending a fugitive. Their target was a woman wanted on a felony drug charge who was believed to be inside the home.
The bail bondsmen, working for two different companies, had information that the fugitive was an acquaintance of Johnson.
Upon their arrival, the bail bondsmen encountered Donald Johnson. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which investigated the incident, Johnson became confrontational with the agents. The investigators reported that Johnson armed himself with a golf club and a handgun. At some point during the altercation, two of the bail bondsmen fired their weapons, striking and killing him. The fugitive the agents were seeking was not found at the residence.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, led by then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, conducted the investigation into the shooting. The two bail bondsmen who fired their weapons were identified as part of the initial investigation. Authorities did not immediately file charges against the bail bondsmen, with the case being reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The names of the bail bondsmen involved were not widely disseminated in initial public reports. No information has been made publicly available to suggest that any arrests were made or charges were ultimately filed against the bail bondsmen involved in the shooting.
