>> SHE’S FINISHING THE FIGHT. JACKSONVILLE POLICE OFFICER JENNIFER JOHNSON WORKING HARD
TO RECOVER FROM BRUTAL FACIAL
INJURIES SUSTAINED IN STREET
FIGHT THAT NEARLY KILLED OR
YEAH. TAKE A LOOK. WE HAVE AN
X-RAY OF HER INJURY WHERE YOU
CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE SPLIT
WHERE HER JAW WAS BROKEN.
>> SHE SAT DOWN WITH ME TO
EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED THAT
MORNING. SHE ENCOUNTERED A
SHOPLIFTING PROSECUTORS SAY
WAS INTENT ON KILLING HER AND
YOU’LL MEET THE MAN CREDITED
WITH SAVING HER LIFE. A
WARNING, THOUGH, SOME OF THE
PHOTOS OF THE OFFICERS
INJURIES ARE BLOOD E AND
DISTURBING TO SEE.
>> YOU KNOW, THEY THEY TRAIN
US TO TO NEVER GIVE UP TO TO
STAY IN THE FIGHT. IT WAS THE
BRUTAL ENCOUNTER THAT NEARLY
KILLED HER BACK IN FEBRUARY AS
SHE HAD MANY TIMES BEFORE.
JACKSONVILLE POLICE OFFICER
JENNIFER JOHNSON WAS
RESPONDING TO A SHOPLIFTING
CALL THIS TIME AT A WALMART
SUPERCENTER ON PHILIPS
HIGHWAY. AND AS I’M GETTING
CLOSER AND APPROACHING.
>> THE ENTRANCE OF WALMART. I
SEE THE SUSPECT. SO I GO AHEAD
AND GET OVER. I PUT MY CAR
OVER OFFICER JOHNSON EXPLAINS
WHY SHE WAS OUT HERE OUTSIDE
THE WALMART ON THAT CALL
ALONE. SHE SAYS SHE AND HER
PARTNER HAD JUST SAT DOWN TO
EAT BREAKFAST WHEN THEY GOT
THE CALL FOR THEFT IN
PROGRESS. IT WAS RIGHT DOWN
THE STREET AND THEY ALSO HEARD
POLICE HEADQUARTERS CALL A 3RD
OFFICER TO MEET THEM HERE.
ACCORDING TO THE ARREST
REPORT, 40 YEAR-OLD JOSEPH
MERRILL HAD SWIPED AT LEAST
$176 WORTH OF MERCHANDISE
AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE
WALMART LOSS PREVENTION
OFFICER BY PHONE.
>> OFFICER JOHNSON SAW THE
SUSPECT WHEN SHE ARRIVED.
>> I KNOW I AM BY MYSELF, BUT
ANOTHER OFFICER IS LITERALLY A
MILE OR 2 JUST DOWN THE ROAD.
I WAS CALM. HE STOP RIGHT IN
HIS TRACKS. LOOKED AT ME, PUT
HIS HANDS BY HIS SIDE. HE DID
NOT SHOW ANY SHOTS. SIGNS OF
AGGRESSION. AND I STARTED TO
CONVINCE MYSELF AND I DID GET
FAIRLY CLOSE TO HIM. AND NEXT
THING I KNOW I WAS PUNCH. I
DIDN’T FEEL IT. I JUST I KNEW
SOMETHING BAD HAD HAPPENED TO
ME. YOU CAN SEE IT IN THIS
X-RAY THAT HIT SPLIT. HER JAW
BROKE IT.
>> SHIFTING HER BOTTOM TEETH
INTO 2 ROADS, THE METAL THAT
NOW LINES OR GUMS ARE THE
ANCHORS. DOCTORS USED TO WIRE
HER JOB SHOT FOR 3 WEEKS. THAT
MEDAL WILL STAY FOR NOW AS
DOCTORS MONITOR OFFICER
JOHNSON’S HEALING.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER FIGHTING
WITH HIM?
>> I DO NOT. I DON’T REMEMBER.
I. VIVIDLY REMEMBER SORT OF
OPENING MY EYES AND SEEING ON
TOP OF ME. I DIDN’T KNOW IF I
WAS DOWN FOR 30 SECONDS A
MINUTE. 5 MINUTES. I HAD
ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA. AND I WAS
ABLE TO I EVENTUALLY I SAT UP
AND HE’S GONE. SUSPECT WAS ON
TOP OF THE POLICE HER HEAD.
>> MERRILL WAS QUICKLY CAUGHT.
>> HE DID NOT ATTEND HIS OWN
ARRAIGNMENT. BUT ATTORNEYS IN
COURT SAID THE ONLY REASON
HE’S ATTACK STOPPED.
>> WAS BECAUSE ANOTHER OFFICER
SERGEANT STEVE RED LEFT WHO
WAS RANDOMLY PASSING BY SAW
WHAT TO INTERVENE, LIKELY
SAVING OFFICER JOHNSON’S LIFE.
>> SIREN ATTENTION AND HE
LOOKED UP AND THAT’S ONE
POINT. AND THAT’S WHEN HE
STARTED RUNNING YELLING AFTER
HIM TO STOP ON YELLOW POLICE.
AND THEN I AM ABSOLUTELY JUST
ASKING GOD TO GIVE ME THE
STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE TO BE
ABLE TO STAY UP WITH CATCHER.
>> I QUICKLY LEARNED LATER ON
THAT HE WAS MY ANGEL AND HE
SAW THE WHOLE INCIDENT TAKE
PLACE. AND I REMEMBER HIM
COMING OVER AND GIVE ME JUST A
GREAT, BEAR HUG AND JUST
TELLING ME, I’M SO GLAD THAT
YOU’RE OK, SHE CALLS YOU HER
ANGEL. YOU WERE THERE.
>> RIGHT? THE RIGHT TIME. I
FEEL THAT
>> ME HERE AT THE RIGHT PLACE
THE RIGHT TIME.
>> MEMORIES OF THE HOURS AFTER
THE ATTACK ARE STILL FRESH AND
EMOTIONAL FOR OFFICER JOHNSON
AS SHE THINKS ABOUT HER
CHILDREN. REMEMBER WHEN I WAS
IN THE HOSPITAL IN THE ER
ROOM, I WANTED TO TALK TO MY
CHILDREN SO BADLY. AND I DID.
I CALL THEM MY FACE TIME THEM
AND
>> JUST SEE THAT LITTLE TEARS,
YOU KNOW, RUNNING DOWN CHEEKS
IS TOUGH TO SEE.
>> THIS AD KIDS RATE
>> YEAH. AND SHE PLAY KING AND
HER FACE. GREAT WEEK. GREAT.
KEEP UP.
>> DO YOU STILL THINK ABOUT
HIM? I DON’T.
>> I DO NOT. I REMEMBER THE
THAT WE HAD COURT. WELL, WE’RE
GOING TO HEAR, YOU KNOW HOW HE
APPLIED. AND WHENEVER HE CAME
OUT INTO THE COURTROOM. I
LOOKED TO HIM. AND I JUST I
FELT AT PEACE. I DIDN’T FEEL
AFRAID. I DIDN’T FEEL ANGRY. I
JUST DON’T HAVE PEACE.
>> OFFICER JOHNSON, SPACE
WELLING, HER MASSIVE HEADACHES
ARE SLOWLY SUBSIDING. MULTIPLE
OTHER FRACTURES IN HER FACE
THERE. ALSO HEALING AND SHE’S
WAITING TO HEAR HOW MANY MORE
SURGERIES SHE’LL NEED. BUT
THROUGH IT ALL, SHE HAS NEVER
LOST HER SMILE. TONIGHT ON THE
10 O’CLOCK NEWS I ASKED HER,
DOES SHE STILL WANT TO BE A
POLICE OFFICER? AFTER ALL
THIS? YOU’LL ALSO HEAR MORE
FROM THE MAN CREDITED WITH
SAVING OFFICER JOHNSON’S LIFE.
YOU’LL HEAR MORE FROM HER
CHILDREN AND FROM THE OFFICERS
BOYFRIEND. YOU SAW SITTING
NEXT TO HER DURING THE
INTERVIEW. HE’S A RETIRED
JACKSONVILLE FIREFIGHTER WHO
RUSHED TO MEET HER AT THE