Man who filmed himself strangling DCS worker in Mesa sentenced to 17.5 years in prison

PHOENIX — A man who tried to murder a caseworker with the Department of Child Safety in Mesa last year has been sentenced to 17.5 years in prison, authorities announced Friday.

Deandre Johnson strangled the victim in November in the lobby of a Mesa building where DCS has offices, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. He livestreamed the assault on Facebook.

“It’s not just the violence of this crime, but that he livestreamed it for the world to see, that makes it so alarming,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the announcement.

Details about man’s attempt to kill DCS worker in Mesa

Before the assault, the caseworker interviewed Johnson’s daughter alone in a room as part of an investigation, prosecutors said. This enraged Johnson, who approached the caseworker from behind and placed him in a chokehold using both arms.

Johnson repeatedly told the caseworker he was a “dead man” and held the chokehold for approximately two and a half minutes, until the victim lost consciousness, according to prosecutors.

When Johnson realized the victim was still breathing, he resumed strangling him.

Throughout the prolonged attack, witnesses attempted to intervene. After finally releasing the caseworker, Johnson turned his aggression toward the bystanders, attempting to intimidate them.

The entire interaction between Johnson and the caseworker, including throughout the attack, was livestreamed on Facebook.

Johnson eventually left the scene. Hours later, following a pursuit, the Mesa Police Department arrested him.

A jury convicted him of one count of attempted first-degree murder, four misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and one count of unlawful flight from law enforcement.

“There is no justification for this defendant’s ambush attack on someone who was simply doing his job to protect kids,” Mitchell said.

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