Fayetteville officers recount shooting of Jada Johnson in civil court filing
The two Fayetteville police officers named in a lawsuit filed by the family of a Fayetteville woman killed by police last year responded in court filings to the allegations leveled against them in the suit, according to court documents.Jada Johnson, 22, was killed by Officer Zacharius Borom in her grandfather’s Colgate Drive living room July 1, 2022, after Borom and other officers responded to multiple 911 calls placed by Johnson and her grandparents. Johnson believed her estranged boyfriend was attempting to break into the home, but an official said that when officers arrived on the scene, they found no evidence to support that. Johnson’s grandparents, Rick and Elena Iwanski, contend their granddaughter was in the midst of a mental health crisis when she was killed after pulling out a gun and threatening to harm herself.Jada Johnson in a November 2019 photo. Johnson, 22, was fatally shot by a Fayetteville police officer July 1, 2022. The two officers present when she was killed recent
The two Fayetteville police officers named in a lawsuit filed by the family of a Fayetteville woman killed by police last year responded in court filings to the allegations leveled against them in the suit, according to court documents.
Jada Johnson, 22, was killed by Officer Zacharius Borom in her grandfather’s Colgate Drive living room July 1, 2022, after Borom and other officers responded to multiple 911 calls placed by Johnson and her grandparents. Johnson believed her estranged boyfriend was attempting to break into the home, but an official said that when officers arrived on the scene, they found no evidence to support that. Johnson’s grandparents, Rick and Elena Iwanski, contend their granddaughter was in the midst of a mental health crisis when she was killed after pulling out a gun and threatening to harm herself.
Johnson was shot 17 times in front of her toddler and grandparents.
The Iwanskis filed a lawsuit against the officers and the city of Fayetteville on April 7.
"Defendants’ wrongful and intentional acts caused Ms. Johnson’s death, allowing Plaintiffs to recover in North Carolina under wrongful death and survivorship claims. In addition, Defendants’ outrageous actions, in violation of North Carolina law, resulted in Plaintiff suffering extreme emotional distress; they committed negligence by failing to meet their duty of care in their official duties; and the City of Fayetteville committed negligence by failing to exercise due care in the hiring, training, and supervision of the officers," the complaint states. "Finally, Defendants’ intentional and unjustified physical acts constituted assault and battery."
In their answers to the complaint, Borom and Rugg largely denied much of the family's version of events and provided several new details.
New details emerge
In their accounts of the moments before Johnson was shot, Rugg and Borom alleged Johnson "struggled" with Rugg for the pistol when he attempted to take it from her. After Rugg tackled her, Johnson "fell to her left side with the pistol underneath her left breast," according to answers filed by Rugg and Borom. Borom claimed after he first shot Johnson, she "reached back over her body for her gun," prompting him to fire another round of shots.
According to court documents, Rugg and Borom also made the following claims:
Rick Iwanski allegedly told Rugg and Borom that his granddaughter suffered from “acute schizophrenia” and may have been on drugs or intoxicated.
Borom and Rugg told Johnson she could hold her daughter if she put the gun down.
Johnson wanted to call her sister, and Rick Iwanski handed his cellphone to her so she could do so. When handed the phone, she instead called her ex-boyfriend.
Johnson asked for fentanyl.
Borom stated he told Rick Iwanski that Johnson needed to be taken to the hospital.
Johnson believed Borom and Rugg were working with her ex-boyfriend to kill her, according to a statement from Borom.
Borom claimed Johnson pushed the female police officer as the officer tried to convince her to step outside to wait for an ambulance.
Rather than three police officers initially responding to Johnson's and her grandparents' 911 calls, Borom, a female police officer and a Fayetteville State University intern were the first to respond, according to statements from Rugg and Borom. The family's suit had described the intern as another police officer.
Next steps
In a motion filed June 28, the city of Fayetteville again argued the court should dismiss the complaint, stating it was not liable due to governmental immunity — a claim the Iwanskis’ lawyers have contested. Governmental immunity prevents claims against local governments for injuries caused by their employees acting within the scope of their duties in the performance of governmental functions.
As of Friday afternoon, a decision had not been made on that motion. The case was selected for mediation on May 4, according to the court record.
Borom and Rugg will not face criminal charges, a decision that Attorney General Josh Stein announced on May 24 after a review of the case by his office's Special Prosecutions Section.
Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville police officers respond to allegations in Jada Johnson suit
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