Shooting, crash involving ambulance; Milwaukee man charged
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is charged with multiple felonies after a Thursday, Dec. 14 shooting and crash involving an ambulance.
Prosecutors accuse 68-year-old Ronald Johnson of shooting two people – and then crashing into an ambulance that was taking a third person to a hospital.
The shooting happened near 56th and Burleigh around 1 a.m. A 60-year-old shooting victim died at the scene. A 57-year-old shooting victim was taken to a hospital. A 30-year-old victim with non-gunshot injuries was also taken to a hospital.
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An autopsy found the 60-year-old victim sustained five gunshot wounds to the head, face and chest.
At the hospital, a criminal complaint states the 57-year-old victim told police the other two victims had been staying with him for the past few days. He said he was awoken by gunshots and saw "Smooth" standing near a bed shooting toward the 60-year-old victim. The 57-year-old said he, himself, was shot after "Smooth" said something like: "I'll kill you, too."
56th and Burleigh shooting, Milwaukee
The 30-year-old victim later told investigators, according to the complaint, that she was "woken up abruptly because she was struck in the face by a hard object." She said she saw "Smooth" shooting at the other two victims. She then ran out of the house and called police. She said "Smooth" had recently threatened her via text message.
The complaint alleges Johnson drove his Kia SUV into the ambulance that was taking the 30-year-old victim to the hospital.
The ambulance driver said, per the complaint, she saw the SUV headed north on 60th Street before it drove onto the sidewalk and into the intersection – striking the ambulance – before starting to flee down Burleigh Street. The driver said she "could hear the Kia accelerating" but the driver appeared to lose control and hit a light pole.
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The driver went to the back of the ambulance to check on her partner and the 30-year-old patient. The complaint states, when the driver opened the door, she said the 30-year-old exclaimed: "That's him, that's the guy who shot up the house…don't let him get me."
Police responded to the crash and found the SUV driver, identified as Johnson. The complaint states Johnson's speech was slurred, and he smelled of alcohol. A bottle of Vodka and a cellphone were found inside the SUV. The fire department also responded and administered NARCAN for a suspected drug overdose.
Police later called a phone number provided for "Smooth," the complaint states. The cellphone recovered from Johnson's SUV rang when police called that number. Both surviving victims identified "Smooth" in a photo lineup; the complaint states the photo for "Smooth" was Johnson's booking photo.
Ronald Johnson
In all, Johnson is charged with:
- First-degree reckless homicide
- First-degree reckless injury
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Possession of a firearm by a felon
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
Johnson made his initial court appearance Tuesday, Dec. 19. His cash bond was set at $150,000.