WOODSTOCK, Ga. — A man says a quick stop for lunch was interrupted after he was caught in a SWAT standoff.
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It lasted for about an hour and caused headaches for businesses, their customers and drivers in Woodstock just after lunch. Police took the owner of an auto repair business, Michael Warren Johnson, into custody.
Brandon Logan was stuck in the chaos.
“They told me I had to get back because there was someone in there with a gun threatening to shoot the cops,” he told Channel 2’s Tom Jones.
Logan forgot about his lunch at Chipotle and started shooting video of officers arriving at the Aero Automotive repair shop on Highway 92.
He says he saw about 30 officers, “Guns out, rifles drawn and everything.”
All those officers, including SWAT, arrived after learning the owner of the business was a suspect in a domestic dispute. Police also learned Johnson had a warrant for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Officers say they saw Johnson inside his business. They tried to get him to come out.
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“The person refused to come out,” Woodstock Officer D. Godfrey explained.
Officers learned Johnson had threatened himself and threatened to shoot cops; that’s when SWAT was called.
Police also shut down Highway 92, and that caused traffic congestion on Highway 575.
Jennifer Gardner was stuck in traffic, so she got out to see what was going on.
“I heard them on the bullhorn, begging the guy to come out. ‘This is your last chance. Please come out.’ And he finally came out,” Gardner said.
Police say that after about an hour, they forced their way inside the building and arrested Johnson.
“He was intoxicated and willing to comply,” Godfrey said.
Logan still can’t believe a quick stop for lunch left him caught up in a SWAT standoff.
“Crazy. Stuff like that don’t happen in Woodstock,” he said.
Police say they are still tallying up the charges Johnson faces.
No one else was inside the business during the standoff, and he did not have a weapon.
Johnson was taken to the hospital because of his level of intoxication, police said.
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