8/7/12 Murder suspect's half brother testifies he tried to stop shooting

  • By Nick Sabo
  • August 7, 2012
  • 353
                        
SUMMARY: State, defense rest; closing arguments tomorrow Hoping to avoid a confrontation, Ashon Palmer followed Lashaun Reed to the East North Street residence where, in a few moments, a shot would end a Wooster man’s life. Palmer testified Tuesday Aug. 7 in Wayne County Common Pleas Court that he called out as Reed, 23, 716 Quinby Ave., Apt. D, Wooster, quickened his pace toward a lawn where Clifford Johnson, 23, was standing with two friends. As Reed approached Johnson, Palmer said he “told him he didn’t have to go over there, told him not to go over there” but Reed “didn’t want to listen to me”. According to testimony presented in Reed’s jury trial, Clifford Johnson was shot at approximately 4:21 a.m. Dec. 10, 2011 after Reed and Palmer approached him in front of a East North Street residence. At least two shots were fired, and Johnson was struck in the back. He died that morning at Wooster Community Hospital. Reed is charged with aggravated murder and murder in the death of Johnson. Reed’s attorney, John Johnson Jr., has said that Palmer, not Reed, fired the fatal bullet that killed Clifford Johnson. Before he died, Clifford Johnson identified the person who shot him as Shaun to several witnesses, and John Johnson said it was Ashon who Cliiford spoke of. Palmer often gave short ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers when questioned by John Johnson and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Williams. Palmer answered “yeah” when asked by Williams if he was uncomfortable testifying against Reed, who is his half-brother. Palmer testified that prior to the shooting Dec. 10, he and Reed were at Reed’s apartment playing video games and drinking beer. Palmer left Reed’s apartment to accompany some friends who were driving to Orrville to pick up another friend from work. While in Orrville, Palmer said Reed called him and said he “got into it” with two men nicknamed Gucci and Bear. Reed asked if he could borrow Palmer’s assault rifle to defend himself against the two men, who he believed were coming “to shoot up” his apartment. Clifford Johnson’s nickname was Gucci. Palmer and Reed first went to see Palmer’s aunt, Joan Palmer, who Ashon Palmer believed had the rifle. Joan Palmer told them the rifle was at a friend’s house. Reed and Ashon Palmer then went to the friend’s and found the rifle, which was missing the clip. They took the rifle back to Reed’s apartment. Ashon Palmer said he and Reed argued over the rifle and eventually Ashon Palmer called Joan Palmer to come pick him up. Joan Palmer arrived at Reed’s while Ashon Palmer was waiting out front. At the same time, Reed got into his own car and drove off. Ashon Palmer got in the car with Joan Palmer and told her to follow Reed. Joan Palmer let Ashon Palmer off after Reed parked his car in an alley near East North Street. Ashon said he tried to talk to Reed, and Reed walked ahead of him until he reached Johnson. Reed asked Clifford Johnson if he was Gucci and pulled a handgun. Ashon Palmer said Reed had “the gun close to” Clifford Johnson’s “chest”. Clifford Johnson had his hands up but then tried to grab the gun, Ashon Palmer said, and it went off. At the first shot, Ashon Palmer ran away. Palmer testified that he looked back and saw Reed shoot Clifford Johnson as he was “on the ground trying to get up”. Palmer fled to Beall Avenue and called Joan Palmer to come pick him up. Joan Palmer testified that she went home after letting Ashon Palmer out to pursue Reed on foot. She took Ashon Palmer to her residence, and Ashon told her what had happened. Joan Palmer then asked Ashon to leave, because she did not want to get involved. Reed was identified as the shooter by Samantha Ralston in a photo line-up with Wooster Police. Ralston had been standing in the yard with Clifford Johnson and Mike Thomas when the first shot was fired. Detective Sgt. Robert Merillat testified that Ralston was shown a photo line-up of six mugshots that including one of Reed. Ralston did not identify Reed after looking at the mugshots twice, and Merillat decided that the pictures, which had a dark contrast, were of too poor quality to be used. Merillat said a second photo line-up was put together using five new photos and a new photo of Reed. Ralston selected Reed’s photo. When asked by Merillat how certain she was that Reed was the shooter on a scale of 1 to 10, Ralston replied ‘8’. Following the shooting, Ashon Palmer fled to Mansfield, where he had family. Reed turned up in Mississippi several weeks later, where he was arrested by U.S. Marshals. Ashon contacted Wooster Police and met with them for an interview in Columbus. He told police to look for the handgun used in the shooting in the alley where Reed parked prior to the shooting. Police found a 9 millimeter semi-automatic in the alley. John Johnson called one witness, Debra Cook, in Reed’s defense. Cook testified that Ashon Palmer had showed up at her house “less than an hour” before the shooting. Clifford Johnson was at her house also, Cook said, and he and Palmer argued until she asked Palmer to leave. Cook said she heard a “bang bang bang” later and looked out a bedroom window that faces East North Street. She said she saw Ashon Palmer get into a car that was pulled up to the curb in front of a East North Street residence and drive away. The trial continues today with closing statements, after which the jury will begin deliberations.


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