Wounded deputy named in police shooting near jail in downtown Asheville; AR-15 taken
ASHEVILLE - A sheriff's deputy wounded in a gunfight near the Buncombe County jail has been identified in an incident report that also said a type of AR-15 semiautomatic weapon was taken as evidence.
William Matthew Johnston, 42, is listed as a law enforcement officer with the sheriff's office and as a victim in a newly released incident report for the May 7 shooting that left three people injured, two by gunfire. The report also gives information about weapons. The Citizen Times has reached out to Johnston.
A personnel file released May 15, the same day as the incident report, said Johnston was hired in 2013. He was promoted in 2017 to Deputy II and after July a 1 cost of living adjustment now makes $23.89 an hour. At 40 hours a week, that would be $49,691 annually.
The Citizen Times had requested incident reports, recordings and other information about the early morning shootout. Some information had been withheld, including the deputy's name.
Sheriff Quentin Miller's spokesperson Aaron Sarver supplied the incident report but did not answer other questions. Prior to Johnston being named, Sarver had said the deputy was recovering from a bullet wound to the shoulder and was on paid administrative leave. The incident is being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
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After being shot, Johnston, returned fire, shooting Ricky Ryan Houston, 40, who was in the hospital as of May 12.
The Asheville Police Department has declined to release the name of an officer who was also involved and sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention, according to APD spokesperson Samantha Booth. That officer is also on paid administrative leave. Booth has declined to say whether the officer used a gun or other weapon.
Houston was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and multiple other offenses, according to the county detention center database. He is being held on a $1.5 million bond with a next court date of May 31.
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The incident report lists a "handgun" as used by Houston to shoot Johnston. Farther down a rifle is also listed under evidence. It is described as an "Anderson/AM-15," a type of AR-15 semiautomatic weapon, according to Gun Digest. That type of weapon, sometimes called an "assault rifle," has gained notoriety as the choice of mass shooters, resulting in calls by some for its ban.
According to a news release from the Sheriff's Office, a suspect walked into the lobby of the downtown jail at 20 Davidson Drive, at about 1:40 a.m. May 7.
As a sheriff's deputy and an Asheville Police Department officer approached the suspect to arrest him, "the suspect resisted arrest and an altercation ensued," according to the news release.
"The suspect produced a firearm and shot the Deputy in the shoulder. The Deputy returned gunfire and struck the suspect, who subsequently fled the scene and was later taken into custody outside Mission Hospital. The officer from APD was also assaulted during the altercation," the release says.
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Sarver, the sheriff's spokesperson, cited HIPAA laws as the reason he could not release Houston's condition or say where on his body or how many times he had been shot. HIPAA, however, only applies to medical providers and health insurance companies, not to law enforcement agencies.
The entrance to the Buncombe County Detention Center is not guarded and has no metal detector, although the door to the magistrate's office is locked at all times. Sarver did not respond to multiple questions asking if Miller was considering upgrading security to the jail entrance, which is unlocked, through which visitors must pass to access the magistrate's office.
Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Wounded deputy named in police shooting near downtown Asheville jail
