A southern Vernon Township man has been charged in Scott Circuit Court with attempted murder, attempted voluntary manslaughter, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and intimidation after he fired a 9 mm handgun into a passing pickup truck last month.
Gregory W. Johnson, 54, of the 9100 block of S 875 E in southern Vernon Township was arrested by Austin police officers Sunday, Feb. 15.
According to Austin Police Sgt. Cody Kelly, he was called to the area of York Road and South Railroad Street on Austin’s southside around 7:30 a.m. of the report of shots fired.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Kelly said he spoke with the victims, Tyler Waskom and Brittany Baler, who were in a red Ford Ranger pickup.
According to the court document, Waskom told the officer that they were traveling south on Railroad Street when they saw Greg Johnson stopped in the roadway just north of the intersection with York Road.
Waskom said that he had to go off the roadway to get around Johnson and as he did, Johnson pulled out a pistol, fire a shot at him, striking the rear bumper of his truck.
Waskom told the officer that he and Johnson have had issues in the past as Johnson thought he was associating with Johnson’s girlfriend.
Scott County Deputies went to Johnson’s residence on 875 East in Vernon Township where they recovered a Taurus 9 mm handgun.
In an interview with police Johnson said that Waskom had shot at him or attempted to run him off the road in the past, according to the probable cause. Johnson reported that as Waskom’s vehicle went around him he heard a sound. He told authorities that he did not know if Waskom hit his vehicle or fired a gun at him, according to the court document.
After first denying he fired at Waskom, Johnson later acknowledged that he did fire a single shot but claimed that he was aiming at the ground, not at Waskom.
Johnson was booked into Scott County Jail at 9:22 a.m. on Feb. 15.
In his initial court appearance, on Friday, Feb. 20, Scott Magistrate Alison T. Frazier set Johnson’s bond at $500,000 full cash only. Johnson remains in custody.