The defense of the murder case claims the sheriff never identified himself

TUSKEGEE − No one doubts that William Chase Johnson shot Lowndes County Sheriff “Big John” Williams in the parking lot of a Hayneville convenience store.

But as Johnson’s murder trial began Tuesday, nearly five years after the shooting, the defense told the jury he shot the Williams in self-defense while being threatened and did not know he was the sheriff.

The state paints a different picture. They told the jury in their opening statements that Johnson shot the sheriff while standing outside Johnson’s pickup, after the sheriff identified himself and ordered the crowd to turn down loud music and leave the parking lot.

The popular police officer was murdered on the night of November 23, 2019, while dispersing a large crowd at the QV supermarket. Johnson, 22, is charged with murder in the case because it involved the killing of a law enforcement officer.

“Protect and serve, we’ve all heard that phrase,” said Michele Davidson of the Alabama Attorney General’s office. “Sheriff John Williams epitomized that term.”

She went on to say that Williams often worked all hours of the day, every day of the week. The sheriff got his nickname because of his towering height of almost six feet tall.

“On November 29, 2019, the defendant pointed a 9mm Glock handgun in Sheriff Williams’ face and pulled the trigger,” Davidson said. “That bullet ended Sheriff Williams’ more than 40-year law enforcement career.”

During the defense’s opening statement, Carmella Penn said Williams was not in uniform, drove to the store in an unmarked vehicle and never identified himself to Johnson as the sheriff. Williams was wearing black pants, a yellow shirt, a blue denim jacket and an O’Reilly Auto Parts cap, she said. Williams showed no badge, she said.

Williams approached Johnson after telling another young man to drive his pickup out of the parking lot. The other young man and Johnson are friends. The state said the group went to Lowndes County to attend a bonfire party, but the gate leading to the location was locked. That’s why the group stood at the store waiting for the gate to open.

Penn played a video from the store that showed the two minutes leading up to the shooting. She told the jury that Williams pointed a gun at the other young man, and Johnson then told Williams, “Get your hands off my friend.” Put the gun away. Put the gun away.”

That’s when Williams approached Johnson, she said. The shooting was not captured on video.

“Out of sight, the man in the yellow shirt pins (Johnson) in his car, choking him and pointing a gun at his head,” Penn said. “There was nothing that identified him as the sheriff of Lowndes County. Will told him to raise the gun. Will was afraid he was being strangled.”

Johnson shot the sheriff in self-defense, she said.

The state told the jury that evidence will show that Williams identified himself as the sheriff and said, “I’m the sheriff, turn the music down.”

Johnson then allegedly had words with Williams, telling him, “You don’t know who you’re with (expletive)” and “I’m not answering who you are,” Davidson told the jury. Johnson returned to his pickup and Williams approached the vehicle. That’s when Johnson shot Williams as the sheriff stood at the side of his truck, Davidson said.

Johnson fled the scene after the shooting, but turned himself in several hours later.

Dailan McCarter was called as a state witness. McCarter, a Lowndes County native, said he recognized Williams as the sheriff when he walked up. McCarter said he was there in the parking lot that night and saw Williams get shot, but he never saw the sheriff pull a gun on the first young man or on Johnson. He said the Williams did not attack Johnson, but was standing near the door of Johnson’s truck.

“I heard Big John say, ‘Put that gun down,’ and I heard a shot,” McCarter testified.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Terry Luck, McCarter was asked about the statement he made to investigators that evening and how it appeared to contradict his testimony. Luck then asked if Williams had identified himself as the sheriff.

“I don’t remember,” McCarter said.

Another witness, Haigler Johnson, was getting gas at the same pump where Williams was shot.

He said the sheriff and Johnson got into an argument after Williams told him to turn down the music in his truck.

“Big John was on top of him in his truck,” said Haigler Johnson, no relation to Will Johnson. “Big John stood up, his head came above the roof of the truck and then I saw him (indicating Will Johnson was at the defense table) reach behind the chair and draw his gun. I saw him put the gun to his head. “

Haigler Johnson said he heard a shot.

“I didn’t know who got shot at first until I saw Big John fall,” he said.

Haigler Johnson testified that he saw Williams with a gun on his hip when he first walked up, but that Williams never pulled the gun or pointed it at Will Johnson near the truck.

The trial was moved to Macon County after retired Escambia County Circuit Judge Bert Rice ruled a fair trial could not be held in Lowndes County. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.

Johnson has been held without bond in the Elmore County Jail since his arrest that evening. No bond is common in a murder case.

The state is seeking the death penalty in this case.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser Reporter Marty Roney at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Murder trial: Defense claims man shot Alabama sheriff in self-defense