The profession of a Florida principal is up within the air after a easy visitors cease resulted in him in hand cuffs. It began on Tuesday, Jan. 7 when a state trooper pulled over a Kia Stinger after noticing the car had an altered license plate and tinted home windows, in keeping with CBS Information.
When the officer approached the motive force facet of the Kia, he requested the motive force, Karlton Odell Johnson, 58, to roll down his window and current his driver’s license and registration. However as a substitute of merely following orders, Johnson allegedly proceeded to inform a narrative that may land him in jail.
In accordance with CBS, Johnson allegedly opened up a black pockets with a gold star within it and instructed the trooper “I’m an officer, I’m an officer.” The state trooper finally requested the person which company he served after Johnson constantly instructed him he was a “deputy.”
“I’m certainly one of you, you hear me? I’m certainly one of you,” Johnson allegedly stated. “I believed we deal with one another higher.”
The 58-year-old continued claiming he was “a reserve deputy and that he was Shaquille O’Neal’s cousin,” in keeping with the arrest paperwork, nevertheless it didn’t take lengthy for the state trooper to study the reality.
The trooper requested Johnson whether or not he was a full-time deputy or sworn officer, and Johnson allegedly responded “no” to each questions. After contacting the Broward Sheriff’s Division to verify Johnson’s claims, the state trooper realized the badge Johnson was initially offered said the phrase “honorary” above the star. From there, Johnson was detained and brought into custody.
In fact, the 58-year-old has no relation to the Broward Sheriff’s Workplace— or to Shaquille O’Neal for that matter. Johnson was, nevertheless, the appearing principal of the Cypress Run Schooling Heart in Pompano Seaside on the time of his arrest, in keeping with authorities.
Johnson beforehand served because the principal for Blanche Ely Excessive College. He additionally was named certainly one of South Florida’s 50 Most Highly effective and Influential Leaders in 2024, and in 2016, he was named “Principal of the 12 months” by the college district, in keeping with WSVN.
Now, he’s dealing with critical fees for allegedly impersonating a police officer. Johnson appeared in courtroom on Wednesday morning, the place a decide set his bond at $2,500, in keeping with WSVN.
In response to Johnson’s arrest, the Broward Nation Public College district launched an announcement to CBS saying “The worker in query can be reassigned pending the result of the legislation enforcement investigation. Within the interim, the assistant principal will assume accountability for the college to make sure continuity of management and operations.”