Amazon delivery driver allegedly saves woman who was being attacked by husband with hammer
May 19, 2026
An Amazon delivery driver allegedly saved a woman who was being attacked with a hammer by her husband inside a Minnesota home.
The driver told police he was delivering a package to the couple’s home on May 11 when he heard screaming coming from inside, according to a criminal complaint from the
Chisago County Attorney’s Office.
He said he looked inside the home and allegedly saw a woman with blood on her arms and a man holding a hammer, according to the complaint. The driver entered the home, ordered the suspect to drop the hammer and then called 911.
When officers arrived, they found the victim lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor and “yelling for help,” according to the complaint. The officers noted the woman had two large, bloody wounds on her head consistent with “several” hammer strikes.
The victim told police her husband hit her twice and she kicked him in the crotch “to get him off” of her.
The woman’s husband, identified as James Alan Johnson, 73, told investigators he was experiencing financial problems and had been planning to kill his wife for several days, according to the criminal complaint. Johnson said that because of the money issue, his wife would “potentially be living off of significantly reduced Social Security benefits” and said he didn’t want her to “deal with that.”
Johnson was arrested and has been charged with first‑degree attempted murder and second‑degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
It was not clear if Johnson had an attorney. Amazon did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org.
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