CINCINNATI — An assistant attorney for the Ohio Attorney General's Office was physically assaulted by a man near the Hamilton County courthouse on Wednesday, according to court officials and documents filed in the case.
Cincinnati police arrested 50-year-old Jermaine Johnson and charged him with one count of assault and one count of illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records.
Johnson was arraigned in court Thursday afternoon; he did not appear in court, but was represented by an attorney.
In court, prosecutors said the assistant attorney was at the courthouse for work Thursday; when she left, Johnson approached her and asked her for money. When she instead continued walking, prosecutors said Johnson punched her in the face.
"Given that this is a seemingly random victim to Mr. Johnson, it's clearly a threat to the public and that causes great concern for the city's prosecutor's office," said the prosecutor in court.
Judge Jackie Ginocchio also noted that Johnson has a history of convictions and prison time served for different crimes. Ginocchio said he noted that Johnson failed to appear in court seven separate times.
Ginocchio also said Johnson has, in the past, been convicted of four felonies and five violent felonies, including two aggravated robbery convictions in 2007 and 2003.
Ginocchio ordered Johnson be held in the Hamilton County Justice Center on a $50,000 bond for the assault charge and a $1,000 bond for the paraphernalia charge, of which he must pay 10%.
"The Cincinnati Police Department's top priority is the safety of everyone who lives, works, or visits downtown. One of the incidents near the courthouse is being investigated. Our officers were able to locate and arrest a suspect within minutes of the assault. As it relates to an incident involving a man in a wheelchair, no reports have been filed with CPD. The Cincinnati Police Department continually monitors crime data, intelligence, and calls for service throughout the city. When we identify patterns or emerging issues, we adjust staffing and enforcement strategies accordingly. We already maintain a visible presence downtown, including patrol officers, bike officers, and specialized units, and we'll continue to evaluate resources based on what the data tells us. We also encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious or criminal activity to report it immediately so officers can respond quickly."
Side note - Year-to-date, walking patrols are up 200% and the time that officers are spending outside of the car is up 250%. This is what we've been hearing from citizens and business owners- they want to see more officers out and about and that is what we are committed to doing."
"The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office takes all matters of public safety seriously. We work in partnership with Cincinnati Police to patrol the downtown campus surrounding the courthouse. We have increased our visibility around the courthouse during agency hours, and continue to work with county leadership to remain fiscally responsible while maintaining public safety."
