LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A grand jury has indicted NFAC leader John “Grandmaster Jay” Johnson on charges stemming from him allegedly pointing a gun at police officers during Breonna Taylor protests in 2020.
The NFAC (Not F****** Around Coalition) is an Atlanta-based organization that describes itself as a Black nationalist paramilitary organization.
On Wednesday, Johnson was indicted on five counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. His case will now move into Jefferson Circuit Court, with an arraignment scheduled for Monday.
Prosecutors with the Commonwealth’s Attorney say the charges stem from Johnson and the NFAC taking part in protests in Louisville, Kentucky in July, and September of 2020. The NFAC marched in the city in the wake of Breonna Taylor’s death for what they described as peaceful formations. Although the NFAC is an armed group that was carrying weapons during the marches, the formations in Louisville were peaceful and without issue.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 4, 2020. According to a federal complaint, officers were on the roof of the Jefferson County grand jury building when an officer was “blinded by a light which they shortly thereafter determined was a flashlight mounted to the rifle being aimed at them by Johnson.”
Johnson was federally charged in December for pointing the rifle at Louis Metro Police officers, FBI, and Secret Service agents, who were on the rooftop. According to court documents, the FBI reviewed surveillance video from the incident, which included real-time crime center camera footage. Two photos were also included in the filing which allegedly show Johnson aiming a firearm at the officers.
Johnson said he didn’t realize it was officers until he turned on the light on top of his rifle.
Johnson is facing state and federal level charges. The state-level indictment includes five wanton endangerment counts, while the federal case includes one count to only include the one federal law enforcement officer whom Johnson allegedly aimed at, the commonwealth attorney’s office said.
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the state charges, the Jefferson Commonwealth Attorney’s Office said.
