A man, Deandre Johnson, who attacked and tried to murder a Department of Child Safety caseworker in Mesa during a livestream has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, in November 2024, the victim met with Johnson in the lobby of a building in Mesa where DCS has offices. Johnson was angry with the caseworker for interviewing his daughter alone in a room during an investigation.
When the discussion ended, the caseworker got up and started walking away. Johnson came up behind him and used both arms to put him in a chokehold while repeatedly telling the victim he was a “dead man.”
The defendant kept the victim in a chokehold for approximately 2 minutes, 30 seconds, and the victim lost consciousness. Johnson dropped the caseworker’s limp body on the floor but started choking the victim again after realizing he was still breathing.
Throughout the attack, witnesses tried to get Johnson to stop. After finally letting the victim go, Johnson tried to intimidate the witnesses. He then left and was arrested hours later by Mesa Police after a pursuit.
Johnson livestreamed the entire interaction with the caseworker — including the attack — on Facebook.
A jury convicted Johnson of one count of Attempt to Commit First Degree Murder, a Class Two Felony; four misdemeanor counts of Disorderly Conduct; and one count of Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement, a Class Five Felony.
“It’s not just the violence of this crime, but that he livestreamed it for the world to see, that makes it so alarming,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “There is no justification for this defendant’s ambush attack on someone who was simply doing his job to protect kids.”
Why such a short sentence?
Although, I’ll have to say, with that man’s attitude, he may not last long in prison, or may have to spend a lot of time in Solitary Confinement
“this young man”. I’ll add that euphemism the list.
Evil in the heart and mind of this young man – what a waste – wonder what he would look like with a ‘smile’ and God filled heart? This photo – the light of his heart has been extinguished to sadness.. a much greater prison than the cell he will be sitting in for the remainder of his life
The same lack of self-control with some. Again and again and again.
I’m not condoning the attack, but NO gov’t official should EVER be allowed to talk to a child without parent or counsel present. Ever.
Well, at least the witnesses tried to stop him, rather than standing around filming the attack with their phones… I hope every single day in prison sucks for him.