Deshon L. Johnson’s case follows up with Essex County Prosecutor

Deshon L. Johnson’s NJ Transit death case follows up with Essex County Prosecutor

On November of this year, Ms. Johnson received a call from assistance prosecutor Erica Lui stating that Deshon’s case will be going to Grand Jury in January 2013. The prosecutor is going to present this case in front of the jury so they can determine what charges should be brought against the Coach USA bus driver operating NJ Transit. Back in the summer July 2012 Mr. Johnson life ended and the bus driver was not charged. Ms. Johnson asked Ms. Lui if the bus driver is charged with any criminal act, she said no. Ms, Johnson then asked how are you sending my son case to the grand jury without any charges brought against the bus driver.  Ms. Johnson has a deep concern with the Prosecutor office closing her son’s case.

According to Fenelly, there were two witnesses on the bus who saw Mr. Johnson hitting on the bus and a woman who was driving in the back of the bus. Mr. Fenelly also stated that Deshon was running across Bay Street to catch the bus and jump up and down with both hands hitting
the back door. A few months later Detective Contreras stated that there were three witnesses on the bus who saw Mr. Johnson hitting on the bus and the bus driver gave his statement. Now, all of the sudden with the inconsistent statements that were given to Ms. Johnson by the
Prosecutor, they want to take it to Grand Jury with the same evidence. Ms. Johnson feels that her son’s bus driver should have been charged on the day of her son’s death. As well as brought before the Grand Jury a month after the fatality. Considering that the prosecutor did not do what they were supposed to do from the start they decided to present the case to Grand Jury and let them decide.  The bus driver should have been clearly charged with involuntary manslaughter or vehicular homicide. Just like the Passaic, North Carolina and other cases when the bus drivers were charged.

Ms. Johnson stated that the bus driver did not go to jail because he might have some political connection or a public official is backing the Prosecutors office for any negligent due to the road was under construction.

Due to shoddy investigation Ms. Johnson, said that questions comes in her head and ask, are there any corruption with the Essex County Prosecutors office or are they just plain lazy? Ms. Johnson believes the prosecutor is taken her son’s case to a grand jury to get the heat
and tension off them and allow the Grand Jury to do the prosecutors job. Ms. Johnson was angry that the Bloomfield police or Essex County Prosecutor did not charge the bus driver. Ms. Johnson stated in our early interview that the prosecutor did a sloppy and incomplete investigation on her son’s case. Ms. Johnson and her son’s best friend mothers did their own investigation by talking to the businesses around Broad Street and Bay Street. These ladies saw business owner’s footage that revealed the time Mr. Johnson walked through the Exxon gas station and left Seven Eleven at 10:30 am.  Then a few months later Ms. Johnson and Deshon’s close female friend went on another mission to compile more information about Mr. Johnson's case by riding the 709 bus on Wednesday at the same time the incident occurred talking with passengers who witnessed the horrific senseless tragedy. Ms. Johnson gathered a wealth of information that the prosecutor failed to do.

Ms. Johnson feels that the Essex County Prosecutors office and Bloomfield Police Department are not thorough when it comes to collecting evidence, nor do they have zero tolerance when it comes to people losing their life with public transportation. Ms. Johnson stated that the Essex County Prosecutors office and Bloomfield police department needs to be revamped also investigated when it comes to cases such as her sons. Ms. Johnson also acknowledged that the Essex County Prosecutors office needs to be like Passaic County, Bergen County, and others with zero tolerance when it comes to reckless bus drivers taking the lives of innocent citizens. Ms. Johnson believes these large cities have too many cases to focus on to bring this one case to justice so they do a poor job and write it off as a tragedy or fatal. She also believes that the prosecutor writing off cases like her son prevent the prosecutor office to do a lot of paperwork.

Ms. Johnson feels that the prosecutor office should have worked with her instead of against her. Ms. Johnson acknowledged that a good compassionate investigator who does their job will ask for important detailed information like cell phone records and bank statement to see if her son was rushing or distracted. Mr. Johnson last called was made at 9:45 am, the Seven Eleven
footage and Deshon debit transaction time where consistent. Mr. Johnson left the Seven Eleven at 10:30 am, these small details show that Mr. Johnson was not running across Bay Street nor was he distracted.

There needs to be a Deshon State Law and Federal Law with zero tolerance when it comes to taking precious innocent lives because cases like Mr. Johnson are being covered up and deemed as a fatality. If you look on      https://www.change.org/p/stop-reckless-aggressive-and-rude-bus-drivers-from-carelessly-taking-young-innocent-lives-like-deshon-johnson you will see articles with reckless, rude and arrogant bus drivers taken lives around the world. I do not want my son’s death or other individuals to lose their love one. As drivers, we need to be held accountable for our actions.  There need to be corrective actions implement with these bus drivers so they can lower the death rate. As pedestrians, we should not be afraid to catch buses or turn off riding one. Ms. Johnson stated that a Coach USA bus driver didn't just end her 22-year-old son’s life on July 18, 2012.  On January 23, 2012, a Coach USA bus driver took 21-year-old Christie Noble-Ross life who is a neighbor that lived on the same floor across the hall from me. The bus was coming around the corner on Main and South Harrison Streets in East Orange NJ killing her on impact. This carelessness of human life needs to stop right now!!! You never know it can be your love one.