The family of Jose Cruz, the 16-year-old fatally shot by off-duty Farmers Branch police officer Ken Johnson, says they are outraged at the low bond amount the court gave the officer and that it doesn't stack up compared to other cases.
Johnson, an officer with the Farmers Branch Police Department, said he was off-duty Sunday when he followed and shot two people he said he saw breaking into his personal vehicle, according to police. One of those two, Cruz, died at the scene. The other person injured, identified by family members as 16-year-old Edgar Rodriguez, was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
Johnson was arrested just before 6 p.m. Wednesday on one count of murder and one count of aggravated assault, according to the Addison Police Department, in connection with the shooting.
He bonded out after paying $150,000 bond -- or $15,000 cash.
"The bond that was placed on Officer Johnson is very low. We look at the disparity in the placement of the bond. For example, the police officer who was shot in Fort Worth, the individual who shot him has a $2 million bond. Jose Cruz gets killed by a police officer, the bond is $100,000," Quintanilla said. "We're not saying that the situation is the same, but we're saying that there should be a higher bond. We find the bond to be offensive."
"We feel it's a slap in the face to the family that Officer Johnson was able to post such a small bond of $100,000 for the murder of Jose Cruz," Quintanilla added.
Documents obtained by NBC 5 show Johnson was being held on a recommended bond of $250,000 -- $200,000 on the murder charge and $50,000 on the aggravated assault charge. That amound was later reduced by a magistrate judge to $150,000.
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Addison police have revealed few details in the investigation and have not said specifically what led them to arrest Johnson.
"Based on our investigation thus far we had probable cause to make the arrest this evening," Addison Police Chief Paul Spencer said in a news release. "But this is a rapidly-evolving situation and it remains an active investigation. Therefore, we are refraining at this time from discussing the evidence collected thus far or about the specifics of this case."
Spencer said he expected the investigation to continue for several weeks.
The office of Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk released the following statement Thursday afternoon regarding the officer-involved shooting:
The Dallas District Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Unit includes a specialized group of experienced attorneys and investigators. The Civil Rights Unit responds to all officer-involved shootings in Dallas County to conduct an impartial and independent investigation.
In all criminal cases, the law enforcement agency has the option to obtain an arrest warrant if they determine there is clear probable cause. This decision belongs solely to the law enforcement agency. Once an agency has made that determination, as with all felonies, a grand jury must review the evidence and decide whether to indict the individual.
The grand jury will be given this case in its entirety and all parties will have the opportunity to address them. Only then, will the grand jury makes a decision as to whether Ken Johnson is charged.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office will go forward in our investigation with a commitment to justice and transparency.
Ken Dewayne Johnson Warrant of Arrest and Detention
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