MESA, Ariz. — A violent and near-deadly attack on an Arizona Department of Child Safety employee is under investigation by police and state officials. The entire attack was streamed live on Facebook by the suspect.
The incident started around 4 p.m. at a DCS office in Mesa on Tuesday near Alma School Road and Southern.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Un sujeto transmitió en vivo un 'intento de asesinato' de un trabajador del Departamento de Seguridad Infantil de Arizona
A video streamed by the suspect, De'Andre Terrell Johnson, shows him arriving for a meeting with his case worker to discuss his open DCS case involving his children. He meets with the DCS employee in the lobby and they talk for an hour. The entire meeting was streamed live.
The employee is heard off-camera asking Johnson a series of personal questions about his mental state, education, background and children. They discuss serious allegations made against Johnson at the center of his open case.
On multiple occasions, Johnson asks the employee to introduce himself to his livestream to which the employee declines.
At the end of their meeting at 5 p.m., as the two stand up, Johnson asks the employee if he will "dap him up."
As soon as the employee leans in, Johnson grabs him and puts him into a chokehold. Johnson is seen squeezing the employee's neck tightly.
"You're a dead man," Johnson repeatedly states.
The livestream was still going. Johnson changes the angle of the camera multiple times to ensure the attack is within the frame.
Two minutes into the attempted strangulation, the employee does not appear to be moving.
That's when witnesses in the background can be heard yelling for Johnson to stop and saying they are calling the police.
'He's still breathing. I didn't make my f***ing point,' Johnson said.
After two minutes and thirty seconds, Johnson is seen releasing his grip. The employee's face slams into the ground.
"Please don't do it man. You made your point," a witness says as Johnson stands over the employee who is not moving on the ground.
"No I didn't," Johnson replies as he leans back in to attack the victim even more.
Records show multiple witnesses called 911.
Johnson left.
When first responders arrived, they found the employee lying on the ground in the lobby with obvious injuries to his face. He was in an altered state of consciousness and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
The search for Johnson began.
Mesa PD tells 12News they found Johnson at a home but when they moved in, he fled in a vehicle, prompting a pursuit.
Officers tried deploying a grappler to stop him but he broke the grappler net.
Detectives ultimately found and arrested Johnson within three hours of the attack. He was booked on attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and unlawful flight.
He's being held on a $500,000 cash bond.
When police interviewed the employee at the hospital, he told them Johnson threatened his life a week prior during a conversation about Johnson's daughter, but he was able to calm Johnson down and nothing happened.
Doctors described the victim's injuries as "absolutely serious" and told police he almost died. The victim told authorities he knew the suspect wanted to kill him as he attacked him and thought his life was over.
DCS said the employee has been released from the hospital and is now recovering at home.
In response to the incident, a DCS spokesperson released the following statement to 12News:
"Yesterday one of our specialists was assaulted in an unprovoked and horrific manner by a parent at our Tempe/Gilbert field office. This disturbing event occurred in the public lobby of the building, and although no weapon was used, the attack was severe enough that our specialist had to be taken by ambulance for medical treatment. Several witnesses were present, and the perpetrator has since been arrested. We are relieved that the specialist has been discharged from the hospital and is now at home recovering with family.
Our staff constantly perform difficult work under challenging circumstances, and they do so with the goal of strengthening families and ensuring Arizona children can thrive. The Department is committed to keeping our staff safe as they carry out this essential work, and we are conducting a comprehensive review of this incident in an effort to prevent it from happening again."
Attack raises questions about safety of DCS workers
The attack is raising concerns for some DCS employees about safety and security.
Earlier this year, citing budget cuts and an effort to build trust with families, DCS cut ties with a security company that provided guards to protect case workers during visits at a Phoenix office. It left some questioning the department's priorities.
DCS sent out an internal email to staffers Wednesday afternoon about the attack. They told employees to use AlertMedia, an emergency communication software if they feel unsafe. They also recommended staff meet with parents in pairs.
12News asked DCS if those recommendations would prevent a future similar attack.
A spokesperson responded, “Although there is no way of predicting or stopping an unprovoked attack, AlertMedia can help in receiving immediate law enforcement response in escalated situations or when a staff member feels unsafe.”
Mesa PD said they are trying to get in touch with Facebook to have the violent livestream removed from Johnson's page.