Facing a criminal trial next month, Phoenix trauma surgeon Dr. Kris Johnson is still fighting over what he says was a split-second decision to protect his family on a chaotic June 2022 night, when he fired a warning shot and was then shot by Phoenix police. The episode, the focus of a three-part local investigation this week, has reignited debate over how far self-defense goes, how police respond to armed homeowners, and how aggressively prosecutors pursue unlawful-discharge cases. Johnson insists he was trying to keep his family safe. Prosecutors say the facts support felony charges that carry serious prison time.
Night, warning shot and police response
On the night of June 30, 2022, Johnson’s wife spotted a stranger at their front door and called 911. Johnson later walked roughly 50 yards from the house and fired a single warning shot, then was hit by police gunfire, according to ABC15. The station’s three-part investigation includes on-camera interviews with Johnson and his wife and video of…..