LOUISVILLE, Ky.–The U.S. government wrapped up its case against all-black militia leader John Johnson on May 26 with the testimony of FBI special agent Andrew Phillips, who led the investigation against the defendant.
Johnson is accused of pointing his AR-15 rifle at law enforcement officers during a Sept. 4, 2020, protest in Louisville, Kentucky. His defense attorney, Donald Meier, has argued since the trial began on May 23 that Johnson was simply using a tactical flashlight attached to the rifle.
At the heart of the dispute are two roughly 30-second surveillance videos, each showing Johnson exiting a vehicle with other members of his Not [Expletive] Around Coalition (NFAC), turning on the tactical flashlight, then pointing toward a rooftop before returning the weapon to his side and continuing to walk….