Magisterial District Judge Hanif Johnson, who became Pennsylvania’s youngest-ever judge when he was elected in 2019 at 26, is now the subject of an active investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office after he shot a 10-month-old puppy on March 10.
Johnson, now 35, was walking his dog in Harrisburg when he encountered the loose puppy, named Lux.
According to authorities, he fired a single shot, striking the animal through the shoulder blade and out the back, shattering the bone.
The injury was so severe that Lux required emergency surgery and amputation of her front leg to survive.
The puppy’s family had been searching for her after she escaped.
The family could not afford the veterinary bill for emergency surgery, so they surrendered her to Pitties Love Peace, a local pit bull rescue.
The president of Pitties Love Peace, Mika Steifel, told CBS 21 that Lux would have needed to be euthanized without the surgery.
“She was shot through her shoulder blade and then out through her back, and it just really destroyed the bone, so she needed to have her front leg amputated,” Steifel said.
Lux is now recovering and in a foster home.
Johnson called the Harrisburg Bureau of Police himself shortly after the incident and reported the shooting, telling officers it was out of “necessity.”
Harrisburg police collected evidence at the scene and immediately turned the case over to the Attorney General’s Office to avoid any conflict of interest, as both city police and the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office regularly appear before Johnson in court.
Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo confirmed that he recused his office the same day.
“My attorneys appear before this magisterial district judge for preliminary hearings all the time,” Chardo said. “I invoked a conflict and immediately referred the investigation to the Office of the Attorney General.”
The AG’s office has confirmed it is investigating but has released no further details.
No charges have been filed against Johnson as of early Sunday morning. His judicial office declined to comment on the investigation but confirmed he remains on the bench and is actively hearing cases, according to a report from PennLive.
WATCH:
Johnson first gained attention in 2019 when he became Pennsylvania’s youngest magistrate judge.
In interviews at the time, Johnson spoke about overcoming skepticism due to his age and race while growing up in challenging circumstances.
He had faced prior arrests, once for an alleged robbery and once involving a fraternity hazing incident at college, but was exonerated in both cases, including after passing a polygraph in the robbery matter.
CBS 21 News reports:
Johnson said his ties to the community were the only thing that saved him after being jailed three times in the past.
He was previously arrested for an alleged role in a reported robbery, but after a polygraph test, the police were able to determine they had the wrong man, Johnson told CBS 21.
Johnson was also reportedly arrested for his role in a reported hazing incident at his college fraternity but was later exonerated.
He told CBS 21 he hoped his election showed that you can be young, black, face adversity, and still soar to greater heights.
“I want that little boy that grew up in the projects or grew up in a not-so-ideal situation, when they look at me, I want them to know there is hope because that is exactly what it is,” Johnson had said.
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