Nov 19, 2024
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) - The release of body camera video, that has amassed nearly 500,000 views in a five-part series on YouTube, has a Savannah family furious. It shows the Savannah Police Department's (SPD) response to the fatal shooting of 57-year-old Vernita Johnson, allegedly at the hands of her brother, now 61-year-old Jeffery Johnson, at their parents' home on 33rd Street. Jeffery Johnson was charged with murder in the death of a family member and remains in Chatham County Jail. The first video of the series was published on Nov. 11 by a true crime YouTube page "Crime in All." Former Savannah officer pleads not guilty in 2022 shooting of Saudi Lee The problem is that Jeffery Johnson's case is still open, his public defender Frazier Klein confirmed to News 3. According to the family, the video is part of the court proceedings to determine whether Jeffery Johnson is competent to stand trial and should remain sealed. "It's imperative that we get answers, and we want to know why this was put out there," said Jeffery Johnson's daughter and Vernita's niece, Jennifer Graham. "And, you know, what was the reasoning? Did someone internally do it for financial gain or why was this put out there? He hasn't even stood trial yet." Public records show Jeffery Johnson has been found incompetent, but according to Georgia state law, incompetency does not mean case-closed. It only means there are more legal steps pending a judge's orders. Savannah PD responds to shooting at E 33rd, Cedar streets Family members say they are heartbroken and tell New 3 that the premature release of this video, they feel, has made a spectacle of their family. "This is not about getting anything out here for my dad in reference to his case," says Jeffery Johnson's other daughter, Katrina Johnson Barnwell. "This is all about family, our family, our heart for Vernita, our private moments. This is something no family should have to go through." New 3 has reached out to SPD to learn more about the process and standards for releasing body camera footage and has also reached out to the Chatham County District Attorney's Office.
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