(The Center Square) – The man being sought in connection with a hit-and-run that hospitalized five juveniles has a lengthy criminal record — and dozens of his charges were previously refused by Orleans Parish prosecutors.
Bryan Johnson has been booked on more than 40 charges since 2021, including at least ten counts of illegally carrying weapons, battery, possession of stolen property, resisting an officer, and distribution-level drug charges involving fentanyl, marijuana, and promethazine.
Court records show that at least 24 of those charges were refused by District Attorney Jason Williams’ office before trial — including five separate weapons charges, four violations of protective orders, and a stolen auto charge worth more than $25,000.
In one case alone, Johnson was facing 13 distinct charges, including obstruction of justice, drug trafficking, and possession of a stolen firearm. The DA’s office dropped every count.
In another incident, he was charged with simple battery and being a principal to aggravated second-degree battery. Both were refused.
The most recent docket for Johnson includes two felony counts for possession of a firearm by a felon and two for child endangerment under Louisiana’s domestic abuse statutes. A bill of information was filed in that case earlier this year, indicating prosecutors are proceeding with formal charges. But many of his earlier arrests ended without prosecution.
The case underscores growing criticism of Williams’ charging decisions, particularly for defendants with violent or weapons-related records. As previously reported by The Center Square, nearly 40% of all felony arrests in Orleans Parish were refused by prosecutors last year — a refusal rate far higher than national averages.
The Metropolitan Crime Commission has repeatedly warned that such patterns erode public trust and make victims and witnesses less likely to cooperate. According to a 2024 MCC report, 25% of individuals whose felony charges were dismissed by Williams’ office in 2021 were rearrested for new felonies by the end of 2023.
The trend is visible across other high-profile cases as well. In a 2023 multi-defendant arrest involving over 48 counts of illegal firearm possession, not a single weapons conviction was secured. Several of those defendants have since been rearrested, including one recently indicted for second-degree murder.
Williams has defended his office’s discretion as necessary to avoid over-criminalization and to prioritize more serious threats to public safety. And according to New Orleans Police Department data, violent crime rates have fallen significantly — with homicides down more than 50% and overall violent crimes down 20% year-over-year.
On Monday, NOPD reported 1,066 firearms have been seized in criminal investigations, a 24% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
