An Arizona man will spend nearly two decades in prison after attempting to murder a child welfare worker during a livestream.
In July, a Maricopa County jury convicted De’Andre Terrell Johnson, 33, of one count of attempted murder in the first degree, one felony count of unlawful flight from law enforcement, and four misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct.
The defendant received a 17 and 1/2 year prison sentence on Friday, according to a press release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
“It’s not just the violence of this crime, but the fact that he livestreamed it for the world to see, that makes it so alarming,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. “There is no justification for this defendant’s ambush attack on someone who was simply doing his job to protect kids.”
The incident in question happened last fall. Johnson was currently involved in a case involving his daughter. During the investigation, a caseworker interviewed the girl alone in a room, allegedly inciting the father to violence.
On November 5, 2024, the defendant and an Arizona Department of Child Safety employee met in the lobby of an office building known as “The Mesa Tower” to discuss the interview. The DCS has its own offices in the private building.
“When the discussion ended, the caseworker got up and started walking away,” the prosecutor’s office stated. “Johnson came up behind him and used both arms to put him in a chokehold.”
According to authorities, the defendant held his victim in a chokehold for approximately two minutes and thirty seconds. At one point, the caseworker lost consciousness. When the other man passed out, Johnson dropped his body face-first on the floor, but when he realized the caseworker was still breathing, he choked him again.
As the attack continued, the distraught father repeatedly told the caseworker he was a “dead man.” But, fortunately for everyone, he was not.
The victim can be seen in the attack footage with his eyes bulging and muscles tensing as drool falls from his mouth, according to independent Phoenix-based TV station KTVK and local CBS affiliate KPHO, which broadcast as “Arizona’s Family.”
Eventually, witnesses, despite being intimidated by the vituperative father during the incident, were able to convince the assailant to let go of the employee. Johnson then fled the scene of the crime. He was seen fleeing in Scottsdale before being apprehended by the Mesa Police Department several hours later.
The entire interaction was livestreamed on Facebook and recorded for law enforcement to use against the dismayed father.
Johnson was indicted just days after being arrested. He was also charged with one count of aggravated assault, but was not convicted.
