Man held in attack on rescuer

4/10/2003

A central-city man was arraigned yesterday on charges that he threw a cement block through the window of a Toledo Fire Department heavy rescue squad, hitting a firefighter who was inside.

Takoda Johnson, 21, of 615 Belmont Ave. was charged with one count each of assault on a fireman, vandalism, resisting arrest, and domestic violence.

Mr. Johnson, who also uses the first names Takota or Tacoma, according to court records, was ordered held in the Lucas County jail in lieu of $4,000 bond. He also is being held on unrelated felony offenses from 1996 in Lucas County Juvenile Court, authorities said.

The firefighter, Jon-Paul Thibert, 33, was treated at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center after the incident about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Emergency personnel were sent to the Belmont residence on a call of a person with chest pains. When they arrived, Mr. Johnson allegedly ran out the front door with a rifle and told them to get inside the house, police said.

The crews told Mr. Johnson they wouldn't enter the house because he had a rifle and said police were coming.

Mr. Johnson became upset, went inside the house, returned without the rifle, and told crews to go inside.

They told him that, per department policy, they would not enter the house until police arrived because he had a weapon, police said.

Mr. Johnson became upset and yelled at the emergency personnel. He allegedly picked up the block and threw it through the rescue squad's passenger side window, hitting the firefighter in the face.

Mr. Johnson fled, but was apprehended in the 600 block of Lucas Street after a brief foot chase, police said.

During the investigation, police learned Mr. Johnson allegedly had hit his father, Johnny Johnson, in the face.

The father was treated at the scene but refused to go to a hospital.