When Jada Johnson’s grandfather called 911, he told police that his daughter was having a mental health crisis and needed help, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.

By the end of the night, Johnson would be dead, shot 17 times by police in front of her daughter and grandparents, the family said in the lawsuit. That was July 1, 2022.

In the federal court filings, the family contends that Johnson, 22, did have a handgun that night and pointed it at her own head. But she never pointed the gun at police officers or anyone else, the lawsuit states.

“Jada Johnson wasn’t some violent criminal in a shootout with police,” said attorney Harry Daniels, who is representing the family. “She was a mother, a daughter and a domestic violence survivor. She was a victim in a mental health crisis, and the police wouldn’t even let the medical professionals speak to her.”

“Instead, they tackled her, pinned her to the ground and shot her multiple times. Then they shot her again ten to 11 times just to be sure she was dead,” Daniels said in a statement Friday.

The lawsuit names two members of the Fayetteville Police Department: Sgt. Timothy Rugg and Officer Zacharias Borom. The City of Fayetteville and other unidentified police officers are also listed as defendants.

Spectrum News 1 has reached out to the Fayetteville Police Department for a response to the allegations in the federal lawsuit.

According to the court filing, Johnson left an abusive relationship on June 25, a week before she died.

“He began stalking her at her residence, showing up unannounced, banging on the door, and shooting guns to the air. Ms. Johnson did not sleep for days, and her mental health shattered as a result,” the lawsuit states.

On June 29, Johnson called 911 multiple times, claiming she was being stalked, and people were trying to break into the house, according to court filings. She was involuntarily committed that day as she continued to have a mental health crisis.

She was let out of the hospital on July 1, still drowsy on sedatives, the lawsuit states. But by 9 p.m. that night, Johnson became upset again and called 911 several times claiming her ex was coming to kill her, according to the lawsuit.

At 9:30 p.m., following a call from Johnson’s grandfather Richard Iwanski, three Fayetteville police officers showed up at the home. One of the police officers said they were going to arrest Johnson for making fake 911 calls, the lawsuit states.

Borom, one of the officers named as a defendant in the lawsuit, offered to sit outside the house in his car all night and patrol the neighborhood if that would help Johnson feel safe, according to the suit.

“Ms. Johnson stood in the front hallway of the house, next to the living room. In front of Defendants Rugg and Borom, Ms. Johnson calmly pulled a pistol out and pointed it to her head. Defendants Rugg and Borom placed their hands on their firearms,” the lawsuit states.

When the officers pulled out their guns, Johnson put the gun down and asked for her daughter. After seeing her daughter, and as her grandparents continued to talk to police, Johnson picked up the handgun again, according to the suit.

“Ms. Johnson carried the pistol in her right hand, always pointing down to the floor. She continued to be in her calm and passive demeanor, making slow and clear movements. She did not point the gun at anyone or lift it above her waistline,” according to the suit.

“Ms. Johnson began making statements about her death. She told the police to kill her and leave her family alone,” the complaint reads.

The lawsuit details what happened next: Rugg was inches from Johnson in a hallway as her grandmother, holding her daughter, tried to calm Johnson down. Borom was in the hallway with a clear view of the scene. EMS arrived and rang the doorbell, but the two officers shouted at them to not come inside.

Rugg tackled Johnson, grabbing her hand with the gun and putting her on the ground, the lawsuit states.

“While Ms. Johnson was lying on her left side, with her back towards Defendant Borom, and fully secured by Defendant Rugg, Defendant Borom pulled out his firearm and immediately shot at Ms. Johnson’s back six or seven times,” according to the suit.

The other officer backed away and did nothing to stop the shooting, court filings say.

“While Defendants Rugg and Borom radioed for backup, Ms. Johnson was bleeding and immobile, in the same position that she was tackled to the ground,” the lawsuit states. “Despite Ms. Johnson being fully secured by Defendant Rugg, actively bleeding on the ground from several gunshots, and with her back towards Defendant Borom, Defendant Borom shot at Ms. Johnson’s back nine or ten times more.”

All told, Borom shot Johnson 17 times, according to the lawsuit. This all happened in front of her grandparents and her daughter.

“Jada Johnson was afraid for her life,” attorney Carnell Johnson said. “It turns out, she had good reason to be afraid. It just wasn’t from the abusive ex-boyfriend she believed was outside. It was from the police that were sworn to protect her.”

The lawsuit asks for unspecified damages for Johnson’s daughter and grandparents. It accuses the city and the police officers of excessive force, wrongful death, assault and other counts.