A man has been arrested after allegedly attacking an Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) caseworker and broadcasting the incident live on Facebook. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old De’Andre Terrell Johnson, now faces several charges including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault, as reported by ABC15.
The altercation took place at "The Mesa Tower" on Southern Avenue and Alma School Road, where the DCS office is situated, according to AZ Family. Witnesses said that Johnson choked the caseworker not once, but twice, during their meeting which had been recorded and, subsequently streamed live on social media.
Furthermore, the caseworker, who has now been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, was allegedly working on a case involving Johnson’s daughter. The footage of the incident, described as "extremely graphic" by authorities, clearly showed Johnson putting the DCS worker in a chokehold for a terrifying two and a half minutes, during which time the victim's physical distress was markedly evident.
Mesa police arrived at the scene after receiving multiple 911 calls, and found the victim with "obvious injuries" to his face, based on court documents obtained by AZ Family. Several bystanders were present during the ordeal, some of whom intervened, pleading with Johnson to release his hold. A bystander's attempt to reason with him, saying "You made your point," was met with Johnson's chilling response, "No I didn’t," before he continued the assault.
Johnson's history with the law includes a previous conviction for aggravated assault in 2017, as per ABC15. After fleeing from police following the incident and thwarting attempts to apprehend him, he was eventually taken into custody elsewhere in Scottsdale.
