John Fitzgerald Johnson, a DJ and founder of an all-Black armed activist group who goes by the moniker Grandmaster Jay, is facing federal charges for allegedly pointing a rifle at law enforcement officers during a September protest.
According to the Department of Justice, Johnson, 57, was reportedly arrested at his home and charged by federal agents Thursday. He is accused of pointing the weapon at officers who were deployed on rooftops at a Louisville protest.
Johnson is the founder of the “Not F*****g Around Coalition” (NFAC), a group that focuses on the liberation of Black Americans. He led hundreds in protests in Kentucky and Georgia over the summer. While the protests were sometimes armed, similar to the many anti-lockdown protests staged by white militia groups, there have been no reports of violence stemming from NFAC actions.
A federal complaint filed against Johnson alleges he pointed an AR platform rifle and “forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and interfered federally deputized task force officers while they were engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties.”
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Three Louisville Metro Police Department officers and two federal cops were deployed to the roof of the nearby Jefferson County Grand Jury Building to monitor the rally. Three officers claim they were blinded by a light which they determined “was a flashlight mounted to the rifle being aimed at them by Johnson,” according to the federal complaint.
“The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights,” FBI Louisville Division agent Robert Brown said in a release, according to Vice News. “Accordingly, we are committed to investigating violent behavior and those who are exploiting legitimate, peaceful protests and engaging in violations of federal law.”
If convicted, Johnson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for pointing his gun in the direction of the officers. The Justice Department filed the charges as a part of their new Task Force, which is dedicated to identifying groups that incite violence in the name of what it calls “anti-government ideology.”
It remains to be seen if the “anti-government ideology” charges will extend to pro-Trump grpups. Over the weekend, armed “protesters” gathered outside of the home of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and shouted obscenities about overturning the 2020 election results in the state. In a statement to CNN, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said there were “no arrests or violations of criminal law” during the protest and says about 25 to 30 people attended.
