Advertisement

Man arrested for pointing iPhone at police

"I absolutely thought we were dead," one of the officers in the car was quoted as saying.

By Ben Hooper
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter

NEW YORK, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The New York Police Department said a man was arrested for pointing his iPhone at on-duty police to show friends "how easy it would be" to shoot an officer.

Investigators said Unique Johnson, 32, was driving a Chevy TrailBlazer with six friends, co-workers from an energy sales company, about 9 p.m. Tuesday when he pulled up alongside a squad car and pointed his phone at the head of one of the two officers in the car.

Advertisement

Johnson allegedly mimed two gunshots before driving away.

"I absolutely thought we were dead," NYPD officials quoted one of the officers as saying.

Police said Johnson told them he was pointing his iPhone, which was in a dark blue case, at the officers to show "how easy it would be" to kill an on-duty officer.

"I then put the cell phone and pointed like a gun, as if I was shooting a police officer at an angle," Johnson allegedly told police.

Johnson was arrested on charges of menacing a police officer, harassment, disorderly conduct, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Advertisement

NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot and killed while sitting in their patrol car last month. About 30 people have since been arrested for alleged threats against officers since the shooting.

Latest Headlines