Steensland said his client is a disabled veteran of the U.S. military: “It’s my understanding he’s 100 percent disabled, and diagnosed with PTSD,” Steensland said. “I believe he served a 15-month tour in Iraq, and served approximately eight years in the Army.” Read more from Dothan Eaglehere.
The Department of Defense Inspector General’s office held a Worldwide Hotline Outreach Conference today July 28, 2016. One of their keynote speakers was Lt Col Teresa James, US Army, Retired, highlighted before on this site. The DoD IG twitter feed shared excerpts from her presentation summarized below. As she spoke, I tweeted with them to bring awareness to the specifics that Lt Col James noted and why they are so important. For a complete listing of the tweets by the DoD IG, please visit their Twitter feed here.
Army Spc. Alexander Johnson, 21, was found dead near the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreational Area’s paintball court at Fort Hood on July 12, 2016. Spc. Johnson’s home of record is listed as Mulberry, Florida and he entered military service in July 2013. Spc. Johnson was an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter repairer assigned to the 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood. At the time of Spc. Johnson’s death, Fort Hood officials indicated the incident was under investigation. The circumstances surrounding his death and official cause of death are unknown.
On July 8, 2016, Army soldier Spc. Dhaifal Ali of Fort Campbell, Kentucky was swept away by a creek current on the post. Spc. Ali was at the creek with two other Army soldiers, one of them was Sgt. Marcus Rogers, who was baptizing him. The Emergency Management Agency reported that the creek had been swollen from heavy rains and severe storms; Dhaifal Ali’s body was recovered several days later and his obituary lists the date of his death on July 12, 2016. On September 6, 2016, Fort Campbell reported that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding Ali’s ‘accidental death.’ MJFA received notification this month that Sgt. Marcus Rogers had an Army hearing to determine his culpability in Ali’s death. An Instagram update on December 15, 2016 revealed that Sgt. Rogers was demoted one rank from SSG to SGT as a result of his involvement in the accidental drowning of Spc. Ali. Sources reveal on YouTube that Sgt. Roger’s failed to follow military orders when he took Spc. Ali to the creek which was off limits.
In the News:
Pictures posted on Facebook by a fellow soldier show he was there to be baptized. -News Channel 5 (September 6, 2016)
Pictures posted on Facebook by a fellow soldier show he was at there to be baptized. -News Channel 5 (September 13, 2016)
Army Reserve veteran Micah Johnson was accused of gunning down and murdering five Dallas police officers during a Black Lives Matter Event on July 7, 2016. This is considered one of the deadliest attacks on police officers since September 11, 2001. He was eventually killed in a stand off with police. In recent media reports we learned that Micah Johnson deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. He was accused of sexual harassment while deployed to Afghanistan in May 2014. He was accused of stalking and stealing women’s underwear as well. The victim sought a protection order and told superiors he needed mental health treatment. The protection order was granted and the Commanding officer recommended an Other Than Honorable discharge and sent him home early from his deployment to Afghanistan. Johnson’s military attorney stated that this kind of punishment is unusual for an isolated incident of sexual harassment. As part of a tentative agreement, it was recommended that Johnson receive a general discharge which saves the Army time and resources needed to discharge soldiers under Other Than Honorable conditions. Instead he was eventually released from the Army with a honorable discharge in April 2015.
As a result of his actions while serving, he was not investigated and prosecuted but instead sent back home from overseas and discharged from the US Army Reserves honorably. Although we have limited information in which to base conclusions, at first glance this looks like a case of escalation of predatory behavior that starts with sexual harassment, progresses to stalking, then the individual gets brazen and starts breaking and entering to steal his victims belongings. It would only be a matter of time before the individual escalated to sexual assault, rape and then murder. It’s too early to make a definitive conclusion as we are still waiting for information to come in because this story is developing. But one thing we do know is that the US Army Reserves took the easy way out, booted Micah Johnson from the military to protect it’s service members, and unleashed him on society with no warning or records. This case is another reason why we need the military to investigate and process each and every case through the legal system so we at least have a fighting chance at prevention and escalation of crimes. If the military can’t handle or afford to investigate and prosecute each case to determine the soldier’s danger to society, then maybe they should hand over the investigation and prosecution of crimes to the civilians. This isn’t the first case they let slip through the cracks and it certainly won’t be the last.
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Why wasn’t the deaths of five Dallas Police Officers enough to warrant an investigation of the way the Army handles crime? Instead the conversation was stifled in the media. The following is a list of questions sent to the Army Times and other media outlets to help them help us find answers.
• What were his behaviors prior to being reported?
• What evidence did the Commander have to grant a protection order?
• Why was the protection order for her home as well?
• Why was he sent back home from Afghanistan?
• Why did the deployed Commander recommend sexual harassment with other than honorable discharge?
• Does the Commander understand the difference between sexual harassment and escalation of a violent criminal? (sex harassment, stalking, stealing victims belongings, sexual assault, rape, murder)
• Did the deployed Commander do any follow up with Army or Army Reserves?
• Where was he sent after leaving Afghanistan?
• Did he process through Fort Hood and was anyone informed of his status?
• Why and when was he assigned an attorney? (usually not necessary for sex harassment)
• Why no follow up on what happened in Afghanistan?
• Why no punishment whatsoever for sex harassment charge, protection order?
• Why no investigation of circumstances to determine if this individual was a danger to fellow soldiers in the US?
• Why no investigation of circumstances to determine if this individual was a danger to society?
• Why only a recommendation for other than honorable discharge?
• Why no concern that this individual may harm others in the community?
• Why no concern for records and informing local community of potential danger?
• Why did Micah Johnson end up getting discharged with a honorable discharge?
• Why is media reporting that the attorney and victim cannot speak to the media?
• Do you have the money to process soldiers through the legal system?
• If you don’t have the money, why not refer the case to the civilian authorities to help you determine if this person is a danger to society?
• Why no follow up with local police after victim got a military protection order?
• Where did the victim live? On base? Off base? Was protection order coordinated between deployed commander and commander in the states?
• Where did Micah Johnson live? On base? Were others informed of the protection order and reasons why?
• Why did it take so long to discharge Micah Johnson from the military after he was sent home from Afghanistan?
• Did he continue to go to work until he was discharged?
• Did he have any other victims or accusations while serving?
• Do you keep records of reports of sex crimes if the allegation cannot be substantiated because it’s a “he said, she said” crime?
• What triggers an investigation by CID? Where are they located?
• Do you investigate if the crime is considered sex harassment?
• Why sex harassment when stalking, stealing panties, protection order, and early return home from Afghanistan?
In the News:
Micah Johnson, the suspect who shot and killed five Dallas police officers, was killed by a police robot with a bomb attached. CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave joins CBSN to discuss a new use for the technology. -CBS News (July 8, 2016)
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, has been identified as one of the suspected gunmen in an ambush Thursday that left five Dallas law enforcement officers dead and seven more officers injured, according to multiple law enforcement sources. -ABC News (July 8, 2016)
Dallas Sniper Micah Xavier Johnson Was Ex-Army Reservist. -ABC News (July 8, 2016)
The gunman who killed five police officers and wounded seven others Thursday night before being killed in a standoff with cops in Dallas has been identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, according to reports. Johnson, 25, was killed in a parking garage at El Centro College after opening fire as demonstrators with the Black Lives Matter movement protested police’s treatment of blacks in America, according to reports. Johnson claimed to be an army vet. -Inside Edition (July 8, 2016)
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was killed by robot-detonated bomb after lengthy negotiations. -CBC News (July 8, 2016)
The first family member of the gunman who killed five police officers in Dallas is speaking out. Nicole Johnson, sister of Micah Xavier Johnson, took her shock to Facebook writing, ‘I keep saying it’s not true.’ She has deleted the post and but added another saying the media will show one image of her sibling, while those who knew him will keep another. Her 25-year-old brother shot the officers during a peaceful protest in response to the recent killings of two black men by police. -Inside Edition (July 8, 2016)
Micah Johnson ambushed police during a protest in downtown Dallas Thursday, killing five officers and wounding nine others. We are finding out more about the gunman’s planning and what police found in his home. -CBS This Morning (July 9, 2016)
Five officers were killed and nine others wounded during a protest Thursday, when a gunman targeted them following the deadly shootings of two black men at the hands of police officers this week. Investigators say Micah Johnson, an Afghan war veteran, was amassing an arsenal at his home outside Dallas. His tour of duty ended in 2014 when he was sent back to the U.S. after a female soldier accused him of sexual harassment. Manuel Bojorquez reports. -CBS This Morning (July 9, 2016)
ABC News’ Matt Gutman and Pierre Thomas report the latest news in the deadly sniper attack in Texas. -ABC News (July 9, 2016)
Police said a robot was used to kill Micah Xavier Johnson, the ex-Army reservist suspected of opening fire during a police shooting rally. -ABC News (July 9, 2016)
The parents of Dallas gunman Micah Johnson have spoken out for the first time since their son’s attack on police Thursday night. Speaking to The Blaze, Johnson’s father, James Johnson and his ex-wife, Delphine broke down in tears as they discussed their veteran son’s devastating actions during a protest march. “I love my son with all my heart. I hate what he did,” James said. The astonished father added: “I don’t know what to say to anybody to make anything better. I didn’t see it coming.” -Inside Edition (July 11, 2016)
Jake Hunt said he couldn’t go a day without Micah Johnson “making you laugh at least twice a day.” -ABC News (July 11, 2016)
As the investigations continue into the three police-involved shootings within three days, CNN speaks to a man who claims to have sold a military-style rifle to Micah Johnson, the Dallas sniper attack suspect. -CNN (July 12, 2016)
CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez discusses the interview with Dallas shooter Micah Johnson’s parents. Bojorquez is in Dallas, where President Obama and George W. Bush will speak at a memorial today. -CBS News (July 12, 2016)
Thousands of people have attended a candlelight vigil outside the Dallas Police Department to honour the five officers shot dead during a protest over the killings of two black men. Micah Johnson killed Lorne Aherns, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Brent Thompson, 43; Mike Smith, 55; and Hispanic officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32. -Euronews (July 12, 2016)
As the funerals for the slain Dallas police officers continue, the investigation into the background and motive of Dallas shooter, Micah Johnson, continues. The US Army has opened an investigation into Johnson’s military service. Johnson reportedly spent six years in the Army Reserves and was accused of sexual harassment while serving. RT America’s Manuel Rapalo reports from Dallas, where police are also investigating claims that Johnson purchased an AK-47 off of Facebook for $600 before the shooting. -RT America (July 14, 2016)
On July 7, 2016, Micah Johnson killed five police officers and injured nine others. This 3d animation shows what we know about the path of his deadly ambush through downtown Dallas at the end of a peaceful march to protest police shootings of black men around the country. -The Dallas Morning News (July 31, 2016)
Honoring the five Dallas Police Department police officers murdered by Micah Johnson, US Army Reserve veteran, on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. They are Lorne Ahrens, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Michael Smith, 55; Brent Thompson, 43; and Patrick Zamarripa, 32.
Claim: Sexual assault victims punished and lose health care benefits as a result.
HRW claims in their report that many service members lose their military career after being sexually assaulted & they have discharge papers that prevent them from getting health benefits.
DoD rejected the conclusions of the HRW report.
DoD states “they have many victims of sexual assault who receive honorable discharges from the military. There is a policy in place that offers assistance for anyone that reports a sexual assault. It is critical every survivor is treated with sensitivity that they deserve.”
Media states that victim was raped multiple times while serving her country and that they contacted the DoD and Army about her case, a case from 15 years ago.
She states that she was military intelligence, had lots of prescreening prior to enlistment. Promising path, requested by Chain of Command to apply to West Point. After first rape in military, her promising path turned to being retaliated against, and there were two more rapes for reporting the rape. It ended career with an illegal, bogus, discharge. Decade and a half later, still fighting to correct it.
Our country often doesn’t truly realize the time and training and sacrifice that goes into preparing our Warriors for serving and protecting us all over this world. We somehow think that our sons and daughters, who were just yesterday playing basketball in the driveway or video games with friends or just worrying about assignments due at school, all of a sudden are turned into warriors without any danger or sacrifice. It is our responsibility to recognize the tremendous amount of effort that goes into making these kids down the block into men and women who stand ever ready to defend us against our enemies. Two years ago, during what we now know to be a questionable training exercise, we lost nine precious lives. Families and survivors have been forever changed, their path in life significantly altered.
These men and women died here on our soil. They woke up that morning ready to learn and ready to complete just another training mission like any other. They never knew this would be their last day here or the fear and doubt that would surround their passing. As Americans, we honor them. We honor them for signing on the dotted line, for their dedication to each other, for their passion for their country and its people and for their devotion to their mission. We remember them as regular people preparing to do amazing things…as Warriors. But we also remember them as ours, as our sons, daughter’s, mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, and friends. We remember them in how they lived and what courage it took to do so. We pause and take note that Warriors are not born but molded and their sacrifices never ever forgotten. -The Fort Hood Fallen (June 2, 2018)
Mr. Speaker, Texas has been hammered by historic torrential rain and flooding. As the Texas floodwaters rose, 12 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, were crossing Owl Creek in a 21⁄2-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle when it became stuck in the Owl Creek low water crossing.
Suddenly, the vehicle was swept over and sent downstream by fast-moving water. Nine American soldiers drowned in the massive flood waters. Today, we remember them, and here they are: Staff Sergeant Miguel Colon Vazquez, 38, from New York.
The soldiers were members of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. These American soldiers were volunteers who swore to protect the United States.
They were a cut above the rest and were ready to defend freedom at home and abroad. Their lives were ripped from this world and their families all too soon. We are grateful for them and their families for their service and their sacrifices.
These soldiers are the best of America. Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families, who have been devastated by the floods of Texas this spring.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 