Johnson Lester, 95: the Aggravated Assault Suspect You Can’t Help but Want to Hug

Johnson Lester’s wife recently moved out of the home the two shared in the 3000 block of East Desert Cove Drive in Phoenix. A Department of Public Safety officer who lives across the street from the 95-year-old man helped his wife move — which appears to be the only reason Lester would have to repeatedly crash his SUV into the officer’s house early yesterday morning.

Phoenix police were called about 4:30 a.m. yesterday to the home of the 53-year-old, off-duty officer as Lester was crashing his Honda CRV into the officer’s house as the cop, his wife, and his son’s girlfriend were sleeping inside.

The officer then watched as Lester began crashing the SUV into the front of his house, specifically, into the master bedroom where the officer and his wife had been sleeping.

The officer tried to stop Lester from ramming into his house with the SUV, and even fired a few rounds into his vehicle. But he didn’t hit Lester, who continued to crash the SUV into the house.

Lester was finally stopped by a planter on which the SUV became stuck.

Officers arrived on the scene as Lester became stuck on the planter. When they arrived, he was still accelerating and smoke was coming from the SUV.

Officers opened the car door to try to remove Lester, at which point he took a swing at one of the cops.

Lester, it turns out, is deaf, and had some trouble communicating with the officers, which turned out not to matter because he didn’t want to talk, anyway, according to police.

Because Lester clammed up, detectives were unable to determine what would drive him to crash his car into his helpful, police-officer-neighbor’s house.

Phoenix Sergeant Steve Martos says there was no outstanding feud between the two neighbors, but rather the officer’s family helped the suspect’s wife move out of the house. Martos DID NOT describe the incident as a “cluster fuck.”

Lester’s been booked on one count each of aggravated assault, endangerment, and criminal damage.