Johnson
A Johnson County jury this week convicted a Louisville man of charges related to a September 2023 road rage incident.
Nasier Deahlo Montell Johnson, 25, was convicted of two counts of pointing a loaded firearm as a Level 6 Felony and one count of possession of marijuana as a misdemeanor. Two counts of intimidation that were initially filed were dismissed before the trial began, online court records show.
The jury convicted Johnson on Tuesday after two days of testimony. The evidence presented showed that what started as a road rage incident resulted in Johnson pointing a loaded gun at two women driving on I-65 northbound near Worthsville Road in Greenwood, according to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The women called 911, and based on their description of the defendant and the vehicle he was driving, Indiana State Troopers were able to locate the vehicle a short time later at the 105.5-mile marker, between the Southport Road and Keystone Avenue exits on the southside of Indianapolis. An ISP detective who ultimately apprehended the suspect happened to be on I-65 in an unmarked vehicle near the location of the call, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Superior Court 2.
The detective located the vehicle, a white Nissan Sentra, on I-65 northbound in Indianapolis. The detective followed the vehicle until other troopers caught up to it near the 114.8-mile marker, near the 21st Street exit. Together they pulled over the suspect, court documents say.
The women in the Subaru who were shot at said they were traveling home to Illinois after a vacation when the white Nissan cut between them and a semi while they were in the left lane of I-65. The Nissan did not pass the semi, so the Subaru slowed down and merged to the right to pass the Nissan before merging back into the left lane, according to the affidavit.
The Nissan then passed on the right and an occupant in the Subaru made a “What are you doing?” gesture. Johnson, the driver of the Nissan, then allegedly displayed a handgun, firing multiple shots at the Subaru before continuing northbound.
The Subaru’s occupants described hearing the gunfire and bullets strike the vehicle. After they pulled over, the Subaru had four dents from gunfire but none of the bullets penetrated the door, according to the affidavit.
Investigators requested and were granted a search warrant for the Nissan. A search revealed a Glock 43 handgun with a fully loaded magazine and one round in the chamber under the driver’s seat. They also found two burnt marijuana cigarettes, according to the affidavit.
Deputy Prosecutor Lauren Racine said in a statement on the outcome of the case the work of getting the conviction was made easier thanks to the work of ISP and the women’s courage in coming forward.
“It took courage for these women to come forward and testify about what happened during this frightening incident. I want to thank them and the Indiana State Police for their quick work in apprehending this dangerous individual,” she said.
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said in a statement he is pleased with the outcome of the case, but is alarmed by trends surrounding road rage.
“I am proud of my deputy prosecutors Lauren Racine and Shaina Carmichael for their hard work in trying this case,” he said. “We are seeing an alarming trend of out-of-county criminals pointing guns at people around here. This is a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our citizens. It’s extremely dangerous. One person was killed by one of these criminals on our interstate last year.”
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced in Johnson Superior Court 2 on Dec. 5. He faces up to six years of jail time; a level 6 felony carries a penalty of up to 2.5 years in prison, while a class A misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in jail.
“At sentencing, we will be asking the judge to protect our people by imposing a substantial jail sentence. One of the purposes of the criminal justice system is to impose punishment that deters criminality. We need to send the message that we will not tolerate this kind of dangerous behavior in Johnson County,” Hamner said.
It was originally reported that Armani Crooks, 21, of Lorain, Ohio, was in the car with Johnson and she was arrested on an initial charge of possession of marijuana. Crooks was never formally charged, online court records indicate.
