Charges dismissed in Uniontown shooting
All charges were dismissed Tuesday against a Uniontown man police allege shot another man four times following a dispute outside a Uniontown tavern in November.
Uniontown police Detective Donald M. Gmitter said Jeffrey Lamont Johnson, 30, was charged before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and simple assault with a deadly weapon.
However, Metros dismissed all charges against Johnson after the alleged victim, Howard Darrell Foster of Uniontown, refused to testify against Johnson during a preliminary hearing.
Gmitter said Johnson shot Foster, 33, following a dispute outside a bar on Searight Avenue around 1:45 a.m. Nov. 30.
Gmitter said the the two men engaged in an argument outside the bar, and that during the dispute Johnson pulled out a silver revolver and fired between five and six shots at Foster, striking him four times in the upper body.
Foster was taken by a friend to Uniontown Hospital and later flown by medical helicopter to UPMC-Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment.
Officer Jason Fidazzo initially responded to the incident after being notified by hospital police that a shooting victim had been brought into the Uniontown Hospital emergency room. Police responded to the hospital and interviewed Foster’s friend and wife. Police also responded to the location where the shooting occurred and collected evidence, Gmitter said. Johnson was positively identified by multiple witnesses as the shooter, however, they also were unavailable to testify Tuesday.
Gmitter noted that at the time of the shooting Johnson was on state parole for attempted homicide. He was charged in May 2000 with attempted homicide and robbery by Uniontown police and pleaded guilty to the charges in 2004 and was sentenced to 7 ½ to 15 years in prison.
Following the shooting, Johnson remained on the lam for several weeks before the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force captured him in Brownsville.
Johnson had been in Fayette County Prison on $150,000 straight cash bond since he was captured but now will be released.