Former Roy police officer Christopher Johnson was sworn in as a reserve officer by Police Chief Paul Antista during a Roy City Council meeting on Monday, March 10.
Johnson, along with former Roy Police Chief Darwin Armitage and the City of Roy, was a defendant in a civil lawsuit stemming from the nonfatal shooting of David Rice and his nephew Seth Donahue.
On Feb. 9, 2019, after engaging in a vehicular pursuit, Johnson fired four shots into the windows of Rice and Donahue’s UTV, hitting Rice’s shoulder and groin and Donahue’s right hand. Rice and Donahue said they had been unaware of Johnson’s earlier pursuit and were blinded by Johnson’s spotlight. The two men, who were unarmed, admitted to drinking beer that day.
Johnson claimed that Rice and Donahue had tried to evade him while in town, and that he acted in self-defense after parking and exiting his vehicle by the railroad tracks. Home surveillance footage captured him approaching the oncoming UTV with his arms extended, before shooting his weapon.
Reading from a prepared statement, Mayor Kimber Ivy welcomed Johnson back to the Roy Police Department.
“I’m really happy to announce that a valued former member of our Roy Police Department who served from 2016 to 2023 is returning to our team as a reserve officer,” Ivy said. “We’re fortunate to have him back in this important role. During his time in Roy PD, he introduced the (Stay Out of Drug Area) program, reducing drug-related offenses and improving safety through partnerships with local agencies in the Department of Corrections. He secured training agreements for free firearms training, led over a thousand traffic citations and major drug seizures, and addressed package theft by returning packages and raising awareness.”
Ivy cited Johnson’s activities beyond policing, saying that he “built strong community ties, remodeled city facilities and supported local organizations.”
The mayor concluded by saying that Johnson’s “dedication and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our community will help to fill crucial gaps and ensure Roy remains (a) safe and welcoming place for everyone.”
Ivy did not address the 2019 shooting or the subsequent lawsuit during her statement.
In 2021, a federal jury in Tacoma determined that Christopher Johnson had violated Rice and Donahue’s Fourth Amendment rights. The City of Roy was ordered to pay Rice and Donahue $3.26 million in damages. It later settled for $4.05 million, in part to cover Rice and Donahue’s attorney fees, in exchange for vacating the jury’s verdict of excessive use of force — effectively dropping the civil judgments.
During her statement, Ivy referred to Johnson as simply “CJ.” She then asked Police Chief Antista to speak about Johnson’s training over the last few weeks.
“Officer Johnson has been out with me three times,” Antista said, as he stood before members of the audience. “He wrote over 25 citations. Two of those were for driving on a suspended in third degree, which were arrestable offenses. Because of the situations, we just wrote them a criminal citation, so they’ll have to come to court.”
Antista referenced other traffic stops during the recent training, including one where a driver was suspected of driving under the influence. The driver was later determined to be unimpaired.
“He’s living up to what he was doing before, and I’m glad to have him back,” Antista said, referring to Johnson.
Under the direction of Mayor Ivy, Chief Antista proceeded to swear in Christopher Johnson under oath. Both Antista and Johnson appeared to stumble at times during the oath reading. At one point, Johnson asked Antista to repeat a phrase.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking up here,” Johnson said, turning to the audience. “You see my bald head sweating.”
The comment drew laughter from the mayor and members of the audience.
The reserve police officer role is a non-paid, volunteer position. Roy Deputy Clerk Kim Bendel declined to comment when asked to confirm whether Christopher Johnson was, in fact, the same Christopher Johnson involved in the 2019 shooting, as did Beth King, the city’s acting city clerk-treasurer.
According to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center (WSCJTC), Christopher Johnson was withdrawn from Washington State’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) Class 748 for cause in 2017. He returned and graduated in January 2018 with BLEA Class 758. The WSCJTC Certification Bureau has an open investigation into Johnson, but does not comment on open investigations.
The Nisqually Valley News has filed a public records request with the WSCJTC.
Not every council member clapped at the conclusion of the swearing-in, specifically Jim Rotondo, Yvonne Starks and William “Bill” Starks. The latter Starks came under scrutiny this past summer during a July 8 council meeting, when he gave a Nazi-like salute during a council vote. Ivy condemned Starks’ gesture in a statement to the Nisqually Valley News. Starks has been openly critical of Ivy’s leadership, accusing Ivy of “trying to cover stuff up.” Yvonne Starks has also referred to Ivy as an “authoritarian.”
