Neighbors detail fire chief's alleged puppy beating in court testimony

Neighbors of former Los Angeles County fire chief Glynn Damon Johnson detailed his allegedly vicious attack of a neighbor's puppy during testimony today in Riverside Superior Court.

At today's preliminary hearing, the neighbors said Johnson, 54, brutally beat the 45-pound dog, striking it repeatedly with his fists and then with a 10-inch stone.

The dog was euthanized after the Nov. 3, 2008 incident on Armintrout Drive in Riverside.

The neighbors' account was disputed by Johnson's wife, Bontia Antoinette Johnson, who testified this afternoon that she saw the dog's jaw clenched on her husband's hand, and he struck it only two or three times, stopping when it loosened its grip.

Bonita Johnson is set to retake the witness stand Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors have charged Johnson with one felony count of animal cruelty. He is currently free on bond.

At the preliminary hearing stage of a felony case, prosecutors must produce evidence to demonstrate there is sufficient cause for a defendant to stand trial on criminal charges.

Preliminary hearings typically include testimony only from prosecution witnesses.

But Johnson's defense has already called Bonita Johnson to testify, and Johnson's defense attorney, John E. Sweeney, said he intends to call additional witnesses Wednesday morning, including possibly Glynn Johnson.

Sweeney has said that Johnson was defending himself against the dog.

During today's hearing, Sweeney showed poster-sized images of a thumb injury requiring stitches that Johnson allegedly suffered during the incident.

Johnson supervised Los Angeles County fire stations in Pomona, Diamond Bar and other cities in the San Gabriel Valley. He retired about two months after the incident, Sweeney said.

The first witness called by Deputy District Attorney William Robinson this morning was 25-year-old Travis Staggs, who testified that he saw Johnson strike the dog 20 to 30 times.

Staggs, Johnson's next-door neighbor, said the puppy, a six-month-old German Shepard mix named Karley, ran into his yard the afternoon of the incident, apparently to play with Staggs' dogs.

Staggs said he grabbed Karley's collar intending to walk the dog back to its owners' home next door to Johnson, on the opposite side of Staggs.

After he began walking the dog, Staggs said Johnson appeared at the fence dividing the two properties and offered to walk the dog home.

Staggs said he passed the dog under the fence to Johnson, and watched as Johnson walked with the dog away from the fence.

He said he saw Johnson strike the dog twice in the head with a closed fist. Johnson was holding the dog's collar with one hand, and punching with the other, Staggs testified.

Staggs said he didn't see the dog acting aggressive toward Johnson -- either before or after Johnson struck the dog.

"She was trying to get away from him -- trying to get out of her collar," Staggs said.

After the first two blows, Staggs said Johnson threw the puppy onto its back, then straddled the dog and continued to hit it with a closed fist.

Staggs testified that he ran to Johnson's yard, and yelled at him to stop hitting the dog. Johnson didn't respond, Staggs testified.

After Johnson struck the dog 10 to 15 times with his fist, Staggs said he saw Johnson grab the top and bottom of the dog's jaw and pull the two sides in opposite directions. Johnson was "trying to break her jaw," Staggs testified.

Johnson then grabbed a stone from the ground and struck the dog an additional 10 to 15 times with the stone, Staggs testified.

Not once during the incident did the dog act aggressive toward Johnson or try to bite him, Staggs testified.

After the incident, the dog ran away from Johnson's home and laid down in an open field in the neighborhood, Staggs testified.

"She was injured pretty badly. ... She had blood coming out of her mouth, and her tongue was coming out of her mouth," Staggs said.

Two of Johnson's other neighbors testified today that they saw Johnson repeatedly strike Karley with a rock.

Stacey and Scott Brown, a married couple who live across the street from Johnson, said the dog did not appear aggressive. They said they did not see the dog attack or bite Johnson.

Scott Brown called Johnson's strikes with the rock "brutal and violent." He said he saw Johnson stand over the dog -- which he said was motionless -- raise the stone over his head, then throw it at the dog's head.

Johnson's wife, Bonita Johnson, testified that she was inside the family's home when the incident started, and went to the front yard after hearing her husband call for help.

Bonita Johnson, who said she was Glynn Johnson's wife of 30 years, found her husband
struggling on the ground with the dog. She said the tussle was like a "wrestling match."

"I saw my husband's right hand in the dog's mouth," she testified.

She said she saw her husband try to pry open the dog's jaws with his hands. He couldn't get his hand out, Bonita Johnson testified.

He then picked up a rock and struck the dog three times, Bonita Johnson testified. After the third hit, the dog let go of Johnson's hand, and he stopped hitting the dog, she testified.

Glynn Johnson declined an interview request following today's hearing. He said he feels he has been "lambasted" by the media and doesn't want to grant interviews without his defense attorney present.