Man identified in brutal stabbing before being shot to death by JSO officer had violent past

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has identified the man they say stabbed another person to death before being shot by an officer.

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Juan Johnson was killed on Sunday night on Pickett Street.

After some digging, Action News Jax Nick Gibson found that Johnson served five years in prison for aggravated domestic battery on a pregnant victim.

Related Story: JSO officer shoots, kills suspect after deadly stabbing in Lake Forest area

The roommate of the man Johnson is accused of stabbing said she doesn’t understand why all of this happened.

“He didn’t deserve this,” Josephine Bowlus said.

She is still coping with the fact that she will never see her friend or roommate, James Hoffoman again.

“He was awesome, he loved everybody,” she said. “He gave everybody a fair share, no matter what, he would help them.”

JSO says that 29-year-old Juan Johnson stabbed Hoffman. A knife found at the scene was the weapon used.

A JSO report also said that officers found Hoffoman dead in the front yard. Officers then search for Jonson, later finding him hiding in some bushes.

JSO says the officer asked Johnson to show his hands multiple times, but he refused.

“The suspect didn’t comply and stood up in an aggressive manner, the officer tased the suspect but it was not effective at that time,” director of JSO Mark Romano said.

JSO says Johnson grabbed a large metal bucket and ran toward an officer. That officer then shot Johnson. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Read: Jacksonville police make two arrests related to July murder

According to Department of Corrections records, Johnson had previously served a 5-year sentence in 2016 and was released in 2020 for aggravated battery on a pregnant victim. He was also charged with the same crime in January of this year, but those charges were eventually dropped.

Bowlus claims Johnson was the aggressor -- saying he hit her in the head before stabbing Hames Hoffoman.

“I still can’t believe he had so much rage in him,” Bowlus said.

Elijah Hickton Jr. -- who lives near the site of the incident -- says he’s saddened by the loss of life and hoped JSO could’ve avoided killing Johson.

“Even though the man came at him with a can, should’ve shot him in the leg or something like that, but kill him, I’m against that,” Hickton Jr. said.

The officer that shot Johnson suffered a minor injury to his arm but will be ok.

According to JSO, this was the 9th officer-involved shooting of 2023.

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