Deputies arrest man accused of killing dog in Cheatham County

CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Cheatham County authorities arrested a man with a violent past after he reportedly drowned his own dog.

According to the Cheatham County arrest report, 29-year-old John Russell Johnson threatened his family with a baseball bat then drowned the family pet in a nearby body of water.

Body camera footage from the two deputies shows the moment they arrived at the Cheatham County address.

Deputies approached Johnson, who was on the phone and wearing a backpack. They told Johnson to remove the backpack, but he delayed in doing so.

Johnson: “I am not under duress.”

Deputy: “Yeah, you’re under arrest right now.”

Johnson: “For what?”

Deputy: “You’re being detained, so take off your stuff or I’ll put you down.”

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When the 29-year-old delayed, the deputies put the man on the ground and handcuffed him without incident.

While searching in the wooded area for Johnson, authorities discovered a car that was completely burned. Investigators learned the car belonged to Johnson, who admitted to burning it.

When Johnson asked why he was being arrested, the deputy responded, “Well, for one, you set fire to your car and you’ve also killed a dog, so we’re trying to figure out what’s going on.”

Johnson allegedly threatened his parents with a baseball bat. Law enforcement said they found a baseball bat near the smoking vehicle in the woods.

According to the arrest report, Johnson’s family had been watching his dog. The report indicates that when Johnson demanded his dog, the relative did not feel comfortable giving the dog back to him, but since Johnson was carrying a baseball bat, the family member was “afraid their son would harm them,” so they handed over the animal.

Officials said Johnson walked to the pond with the animal, but a short time later, he returned carrying the dead dog.

When the relative asked what happened to the dog, Johnson reportedly said, “You wouldn’t give me a gun, so I drowned it.”

The issue of the dead dog came up in the body cam footage.

Johnson: “Give me the charge.”

Deputy: “Animal cruelty, for one.”

Johnson: “That’s not cruel if it’s a short and sweet death.”

Deputy: “You drowned it in the creek. Now take that backpack off.”

Johnson: “You can’t prove I did anything. Bassett hounds are not good swimmers, sir.”

Deputy: “You just said you did. You said, ‘It’s my dog. I can do with it what I want.'”

Throughout the interaction with deputies, Johnson contested the arrest, saying that what he did was not illegal and asking how to bond out.

Johnson: “I just don’t understand. Where’s the criminal aspect?”

Deputy: “Okay well if you didn’t understand the first three times, you’re probably not going to understand the fourth time.”

News 2 learned that Johnson has prior assault charges out of Nashville.

According to an arrest affidavit dated Sept. 5, 2023, Johnson went to the Nashville Rescue Mission and was “aggressive with staff.” He reportedly started arguing with staff members who asked Johnson to leave.

Per the affidavit, “[Johnson] still refused and spit at the feet of the staff. [Johnson] also smacked the manager of the Rescue Mission in the stomach and stepped on another staff member’s feet.”

The report indicates that employees tackled Johnson and tried to hold him until police arrived. However, Johnson allegedly bit a man on the arm and attempted to bite another person’s finger.

A second affidavit from the incident at the Nashville Rescue Mission quoted a woman listed as a victim of Johnson. According to the victim, “she observed other staff members attempting to subdue a combative guest. As she attempted to help her coworkers, she observed the suspect, Mr. John Johnson, choking a dog. The woman attempted to free the dog from Mr. Johnson’s grip at which point, Mr. Johnson lunged forward and bit her right thumb breaking through both a fake finger nail, her real finger nail and leaving teeth marks on her skin. The woman was able to jerk her hand free as well as free the dog. This incident was captured on surveillance footage at the location and was observed by officers.”

According to Steve Hayslip with the Nashville-Davidson County District Attorney’s Office, in that case, Johnson was charged with two counts of assault and criminal trespassing.

Hayslip said the cases were retired.

A legal definition of “retired,” supplied by Hayslip, said, “Retired Criminal Charge in Tennessee. This means that the matter will not be prosecuted for a specific amount of time set out in the agreement and as long as all conditions are met, the matter will be dismissed after the time period is met.”

Based on an additional definition supplied by Hayslip, retired to the file means that prosecution of a case is suspended, but the “case is subject to recall and prosecution at any time thereafter at the discretion of the court.”

Hayslip also told News 2 the disposition on Johnson included a stay away order for 60 days at the Nashville Rescue Mission along Lafayette Street.

News 2’s Andy Cordan posed some questions regarding the Nashville Rescue Mission arrest and Assistant District Attorney Will Griffith responded to the questions:

Cordan: “So to be clear, regarding the 9/5/23 incident: He was arrested and taken to jail?”

Griffith: “Yes…appears to have been arrested on 9/5/23 on the two warrants (assault and trespass) and was granted pretrial release. Then, officers went back to the Rescue Mission and spoke to another victim the next day (who was unavailable on 9/5 to speak with officers) and they then took out another warrant on 9/6 related to the same incident that happened on 9/5. That warrant was served on him on 9/27 and he posted a $5,000 bond on that warrant. So…he was taken to jail twice.”

Cordan: “He served x number of days?”

Griffith: “Looks like two days in jail from the time bond was set until it was posted on that second assault warrant. The first assault warrant and criminal trespass was just being booked and processed out the same day (likely a few hours) since he was given pre-trial release.”

Cordan: “Did he bond out?”

Griffith: “Yes…$5,000 for the second assault warrant, which he had to post. That’s $500 that it cost him, since bond is 10% of what is set.”

Cordan: “His case was retired. Does that mean if he gets in trouble in Metro again, the homeless shelter spitting and fighting incident could be brought back before the court?”

Griffith: “Only if he had gotten in trouble during that 60 day retirement period. That was the stay away (from the shelter) order for 60 days. Or if he got rearrested on any charges within that period.”

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Meanwhile, Johnson is still being held in the Cheatham County Jail for two counts of aggravated domestic assault and one count of aggravated animal cruelty. According to jail records, Johnson has no bond pending a hearing on Wednesday, July 10.

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