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Man accused of having sniper rifles, thousand of ammo in Hollywood high-rise home appears in court
FOX 11 News got its first look at Braxton Johnson, the man accused of having high-powered weapons in his high-rise apartment in Hollywood.
LOS ANGELES – A 25-year-old man is behind bars after police say he had a sniper rifle and a cache of other weapons in his Hollywood high-rise apartment.
When the Los Angeles Police Department first found a sniper rifle, two assault rifles and a “thousand of rounds” of ammo from the home of Braxton Johnson, both the public – and the police – initially feared Johnson may have been plotting a possible mass shooting. But after a series of investigation, LAPD announced Thursday night that there were “no indications that any persons were threatened with a firearm nor have [LAPD] identified any intent by Johnson to plan a mass shooting incident.”
LAPD’s revelation comes a day after officials thanked the public and security staff for preventing a possible mass shooting from taking place.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department initially responded to a call of a man possibly suffering from a mental health crisis, saying the security guards at the high-rise building located at Sunset Boulevard and Gordon Avenue reported a resident had been making threats. Officers then searched the 25-year-old suspect’s Hollywood home and found all the aforementioned weapons on the 18th floor – where he lives.
LAPD: Weapons seizure likely prevented a mass shooting
Los Angeles police officers seized several high-powered weapons from a man accused of making criminal threats.
LAPD busts man with cache of weapons, ammo, thwarting potential mass shooting
A neighbor on the 18th floor recorded the moments LAPD tried to make contact with the suspect. An arsenal was found inside his apartment along with body armor after he allegedly made criminal threats.
The apartment had large windows with a non-obstructed view of the Gordon Street Park downstairs, and some of the rifles were pointed down, outside the windows, LAPD Lt. Leonid Tsap said during a press conference Wednesday.
One neighbor said Johnson had mentioned he had a military background and that Johnson believed the CIA was after him.
In addition to the sniper rifle and the assault rifles, LAPD also found a shotgun and three pistols. All the guns were unregistered. Johnson was arrested after the search.
A day before LAPD walked back the possible mass shooting plot allegations, Tsap gave the public kudos for alerting police that something felt off when the 25-year-old suspect had allegedly suffered a mental health crisis.
“They notified us and worked together with the police to bring this to a safe conclusion. It’s a great police work and a great teamwork by community members and our police officers to take the suspect off the streets and possibly prevent something of a heinous crime like a mass shooting,” Tsap said.
Johnson’s bail was set at $500,000.
How I see myself & then there is what my body tells me empathically with lots of pain !
About a year ago, I reviewed the 856 Ultra-Lite—a successor to the Model 85 with six shots instead of five—and came away impressed by the inexpensive but good-shooting snubnose revolver. Recently, Taurus came out with a three-inch version, the Defender, and it is equally impressive.
This particular model is an aluminum-framed Ultra-Lite, one of two such guns in the sixgun 856 Defender lineup. These weigh 17.5 ounces, half of what the four all-steel models weigh. Overall length is 7.5 inches, and the width across the fluted steel cylinder is 1.4 inches.
I think the most outstanding feature on the 856 Defender is the front sight. While the rear is simply a gutter milled into the backstrap, the front is a day/night sight, which is not something you expect to find on a revolver with a suggested retail just north of $400. It’s an AmeriGlo, marked “H3 FJ,” for which I could find no details on AmeriGlo’s site. But no matter. It features a bright orange stripe into which a small tritium vial is set. It’s a sight that’s very quick to pick up in any lighting condition. It is pinned in place.
The three-inch barrel is of one piece and fully shrouded. The muzzle sports a slight crown to protect the rifling. It, the crane and the cylinder are matte stainless.
When I posted a range photo of the 856 Defender Ultra-Lite on Facebook, one visitor commented that I must’ve shot the gun really hot because the cylinder was discolored. While some of what he noticed was simply fouling, the gun’s appearance was also due in part to the fact that the steel parts are slightly darker than the anodized finish on the aluminum frame. It’s not quite two-tone, but I think it gives the gun a unique look.
The right side of the frame features the Taurus bull logo and “Taurus Int’l Mfg Miami, FL-USA” along with the serial and model numbers. The left side is stamped “Ultra-Lite” and “Taurus Armas Made in Brazil.”
The cylinder release is nice and big, and it’s serrated so your thumb won’t slip. The exposed hammer’s spur is likewise serrated.
The rubber grips come from Hogue. They have a pebbled texture, finger grooves and a dish at the top where your firing-hand thumb rests. They’re not full wraparounds, so a thin strip of the frame’s backstrap is exposed.
I actually prefer this in handguns that don’t have a lot of recoil because the lack of extra material at the back makes the grip a bit smaller. Even though I have medium-size hands, I almost always find that slimmer, smaller grips shoot better for me.
The trigger is what you’d expect. The double-action pull is relatively smooth, with typical stacking, and it breaks at nine pounds, 14 ounces on average. The single-action pull has a wee bit of creep and grit, and it breaks at three pounds, seven ounces.
I own one revolver with a three-inch barrel, a Ruger GP100 in .44 Special, and I’ve come to appreciate this barrel length. The extra inch of sighting radius over a snubby is a big advantage to my astigmatic eyes. Shooting with bifocals is hell, as some of you know.
The longer tube gives just a bit more weight out front, which tames muzzle rise a bit. The 856 Defender is chambered to .38 Special +P, and I found +P loads to be nicely controllable even though it’s such a light gun.
While the Black Hills HoneyBadger ammunition wasn’t the most accurate of the four loads I tested from the bench, it sure was the nicest to shoot because its light 100-grain bullets don’t generate a lot of recoil, making fast follow-up shots no problem. And from what I’ve read, this bullet design, with its fluted “fins” produces excellent terminal performance.
I thought the gun shot great from the bench. While it’s not apples to apples because I didn’t test the same ammo in both guns, but the longer Defender outdid the standard 856 by about a half-inch on average. And regardless of what ammo I fed it, the Defender acquitted itself really well in defensive-type drills.
The beauty of the snubnose revolver is that it makes a great carry gun for those who prefer revolvers. Yes, the Defender has a longer three-inch barrel, but unless you’re carrying it in a pocket—in a proper pocket holster, of course—the extra length isn’t going to affect concealability. Because it’s a lightweight aluminum frame, you’re bearing hardly any burden in terms of weight.
In the final analysis, I think the 856 Defender has a lot going for it. It has that useful night sight, it doesn’t weigh much, and it’s easier to shoot than a two-inch snubby. Couple that with its $425 suggested retail price, which will bring mid-to-high $300s at dealers, and you’ve got a dependable, shootable and affordable concealed-carry revolver.
Taurus 856 Defender Ultra-Lite Specs
- Type: Single-action/double-action centerfire revolver
- Caliber: .38 Special +P
- Capacity: 6
- Barrel: 3 in.
- OAL/Height/Width: 7.5/5.0/1.4 in.
- Weight: 17.5 oz.
- Construction: Matte stainless barrel, cylinder, crane; anodized aluminum frame
- Sights: Gutter rear, AmeriGlo day/night front
- Trigger: Double action, 9 lb. 14 oz.; single action, 3 lb. 7 oz. (measured)
- Safety: Transfer bar
- Price: $425
- Manufacturer: Taurus, TaurusUSA.com
Taurus 856 Defender Ultra-Lite Accuracy Results
The DWX pistol is the result of the brilliant collaboration between CZ and Dan Wesson. This cutting-edge firearm is a fusion of the best features of both pistol families and is sure to leave you in awe with its design.
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It features a locked breech barrel system and CZ-style takedown, making it easy to disassemble and clean. The match-grade barrel can be easily removed thanks to the bushing-less barrel system, similar to that of a P-10 or P-09/P-07.
The DWX also boasts a high capacity of 19+1 rounds with flush bases in 9mm, and is customizable with standard 1911 parts, allowing gunsmiths and competitive shooters to adjust it to their preference.
The sights are also easily customized, with a 1911-style dovetailed front sight and a CZ Shadow 2-style rear sight cut.
The CZ Dan Wesson DWX is a firearm that features a fiber optic sight for quick target acquisition in bright lighting, an adjustable rear sight for improved accuracy at the range, and a CZ-75 profile frame for enhanced grip and ergonomics.
Additionally, it has front serrations for press-checks, a serrated rib to reduce glare, a square hammer for a tactical look, a flat K-style trigger, an ambidextrous safety and grip safety, a 1913 Picatinny rail for easy accessory attachment, and 25 LPI checkering on the flat mainspring housing for a secure grip.
It is also compatible with CZ P-10F/P-09 double-stack magazines. Additionally, the mag release is swappable, offering further user configuration.
Dan Wesson Announcing the DWX, a CZ and 1911 Hybrid for Competition
The grip angle and contours of the DWX are borrowed from the CZ 75, which is widely recognized as one of the most comfortable and ergonomic pistols on the market.
This makes the DWX a great option for those who have trouble finding a comfortable fit with other pistols. Additionally, the DWX can use standard grips from a CZ 75 and even has corresponding magwells for the TS/Czechmate series, making it even more versatile.
From the outset, the Citori was crafted as a budget-friendly sporting arm, but don’t let that fool you, as Browning’s famed over-under is seen on the winner’s podium throughout the United States each year, and these guns are trusted by top shooters to perform at high levels. Dedicated hunters, too, require sporting arms that function without fail and print beautifully downrange. Whether you’re a field fanatic with a burning desire to traverse the brush country in pursuit of gamebirds, or a weekend clays shooter with a taste for signature quality, the Citori Hunter Grade II should ride high on the list of suitable shotguns. Watch the video above to see the Citori Hunter Grade II in use on the NRA Tech Range.
Starting with a steel receiver, locking bolt and hinge pin, you’ll notice quickly the silver finish of the gun’s action, which automatically suggests that it’s made of stainless steel. In fact, it is just carbon steel, but the receiver has been treated to provide supreme wear and corrosion resistance, thanks to a silver nitriding process. The overall finish has undeniable good looks, especially after the company’s decision to wrap its action with a better-than-usual grade of walnut, as seen here, which is what makes this version of the Citori Hunter a Grade II.
The stock includes a smooth satin finish throughout with panels along the wrist and fore-end that, with 18 l.p.i. cut checkering, gives users enough grit for purchase without being overly abrasive. The buttstock is capped with the company’s famed Inflex 2 recoil pad, which our testers have come to love. The grip has an open radius for fast handling, an important attribute of a field gun.
Further increasing the Citori Hunter’s capability is its barrels, and Browning has gone to great lengths to improve performance here. What you get with this package is nothing short of premium. Browning offers its Hunter Grade II in various gauges, and barrel options include either 26″ or 28″ configurations. Putting shot on target is easy with the gun’s 50-50 point of impact and included choke tubes. Three choke tubes come with the gun. In addition, you get a back-bored barrel, chrome-lined chamber and ventilated rib for sighting.
On the range, our testers were pleased with the flawless performance of the Citori Hunter Grade II. The gun swings well and has a great between-the-hands balance. From the gun’s safety and barrel selector to its gold accents, clean lines and overall good looks, this 16-ga. version is sure to impress. The Citori has a track record of success, and the Hunter Grade II is just one more great example in the Browning Arms lineup.
Specifications
Importer: Browning Arms
Action Type: bloxlock, over-under, break-action shotgun
Gauge: 16; 2 3/4″
Receiver: steel; sliver-Nitride finish
Barrel: 26″ steel; blued fininsh
Stock: grade II walnut
Sights: 1/4″ ventilated rib; silver-bead front
Overall Length: 43″
Weight: 6 lbs., 12 ozs.
MSRP: $2,480
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