...One of Gov. Paterson's former top aides [David Johnson] was arrested Thursday on a six-count criminal complaint that says he threatened to kill his then-girlfriend on Halloween night... Victim Sherr-una Booker told prosecutors that David Johnson yanked her off the ground by her neck, tore phones from her hand when she tried to call 911 and left her gasping for air in a violent outburst...Previous post:
[NY] Sherr-una Booker's soul searching leads her to take a stand - regardless of who her ex's friends are - Sherr-una Booker, the woman at the center of the scandal that crippled New York State Governor David Paterson's administration is breaking her silence - and demanding prosecutors charge one of his former top aides [David Johnson]... Booker said she's coming forward now "after a lot of soul searching and praying... I don't want any woman to go through what I went through"...
...“Ms. Booker feels that she’s now a step closer to getting justice for what David Johnson did to her,” said Kenneth P. Thompson, a lawyer for Ms. Booker. “She also believes that no woman should ever go through what happened to her”...
...The 6-foot-7 Johnson started as Paterson's driver and became one of his most trusted aides until the governor suspended him without pay in February when the Halloween fight became public... The NYPD took almost 90 minutes to respond to Booker's three 911 calls that night, and responding officers refused to arrest Johnson, telling Booker to get an order of protection instead...
...The 6-foot-7 Johnson started as Paterson's driver and became one of his most trusted aides until the governor suspended him without pay in February when the Halloween fight became public... The NYPD took almost 90 minutes to respond to Booker's three 911 calls that night, and responding officers refused to arrest Johnson, telling Booker to get an order of protection instead...cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com
By William K. Rashbaum and Danny Hakim
August 12, 2010
[Excerpts] David W. Johnson, one of Gov. David A. Paterson’s closest aides, surrendered to Bronx prosecutors Thursday morning to face misdemeanor assault charges... He was expected to be formally charged and arraigned later in the day. Mr. Johnson is the man at the center of a domestic violence scandal that led to Mr. [Governor David] Paterson’s decision not to seek election... Sherr-una Booker, Mr. Johnson’s former companion, said that during an altercation on Oct. 31, 2009, Mr. Johnson tore off her Halloween costume, choked her and shoved her into a mirrored dresser. Mr. Johnson refused to cooperate with Ms. Kaye’s investigation. “We surrendered him this morning because the D.A.’s office told us they were going to prosecute him for the Oct. 31 incident,” said Mr. Johnson’s lawyer, Oscar Michelen... “He’s ready to face the charges, but he’s disappointed this petition was made,” Mr. Michelen said, adding that his client expects to be exonerated. “He is ready for his day in court”... “Ms. Booker feels that she’s now a step closer to getting justice for what David Johnson did to her,” said Kenneth P. Thompson, a lawyer for Ms. Booker. “She also believes that no woman should ever go through what happened to her.” [Full article here]
Video: Arrest
EX-AIDE TO GOV. PATERSON DAVID JOHNSON FACES JUDGE
MYFOXNY.COM
12 Aug 2010
[Excerpts] David Johnson, the one-time top aide to Gov. David Paterson, surrendered on an assault charge in the 2009 Bronx domestic violence incident that touched off a tampering investigation in Albany... He appeared in court later Thursday. A judge released him on his own recognizance, but ordered him to stay away from his ex-girlfriend. The woman who brought domestic violence allegations against a former top aide of New York Gov. David Paterson said last month that she planned to refile charges in the case. Sherr-una Booker, his ex-girlfriend, had told WNBC she wanted Johnson to be held criminally responsible for assaulting her in October in their Bronx home... [Full article here]
Video: Governor Paterson statement that he won't run again (due to this case)
EX-PATERSON AIDE DAVID JOHNSON SURRENDERS; arrested on assault charges in Sherr-una Booker case
BY Brendan Brosh and Adam Lisberg
August 12th 2010
[Excerpts] One of Gov. Paterson's former top aides was arrested Thursday on a six-count criminal complaint that says he threatened to kill his then-girlfriend on Halloween night. Victim Sherr-una Booker told prosecutors that David Johnson yanked her off the ground by her neck, tore phones from her hand when she tried to call 911 and left her gasping for air in a violent outburst. "Defendant grabbed deponent on her neck with both hands and squeezed her neck, lifting her body off of the floor," the criminal complaint says. "She could not speak, and had difficulty breathing." Booker testified Johnson became enraged by her Halloween costume, ripped it off her and threw her against a dresser. The complaint says, "During the defendant's above-mentioned conduct, defendant stated in sum and substance: You're not going anywhere. I'll f------ kill you before I let you go anywhere." Booker told prosecutors she suffered pain and redness to her neck, difficulty swallowing and bruises on her arms and leg, forcing her to seek hospital treatment... He is charged with third-degree assault, three counts of criminal mischief, menacing and harassment... Johnson has denied hitting Booker or committing any crime that night... The 6-foot-7 Johnson started as Paterson's driver and became one of his most trusted aides until the governor suspended him without pay in February when the Halloween fight became public... The resulting scandal threatened Paterson's ability to stay in office, and five state officials later resigned. The head of Paterson's state police detail, Maj. Charles Day, was transferred to the traffic division. The NYPD took almost 90 minutes to respond to Booker's three 911 calls that night, and responding officers refused to arrest Johnson, telling Booker to get an order of protection instead. Booker, 41, testified that Day called and asked her not to file charges even before the NYPD arrived that night... [former Chief Judge Judith] Kaye's report had harsh words for Paterson and top officials in his administration and the state police, who she said tried to protect the governor instead of Booker. "It is hard to reconcile this conduct with the governor's expressed commitment to the cause of domestic violence prevention," Kaye's report said. [Full article here]
[public official involved domestic violence intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety]
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