Kidnapping and Assault Suspects found Guilty

Two people attempting to take the law into their own hands have been found guilty of Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Assault.  Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter, along with Assistant District Attorney Luis Casas presented the case last week on behalf of the state in Division VI Criminal Court.   The suspects, Charles Johnson and Pauline Spalding, approached the victim in a Nashville grocery store parking lot on July 4th of 2018, holding guns and demanding the victim’s cell phone.  The suspects were acting as if they were law enforcement officers searching for a specific person that they believed had been involved in drug activity, but it was a case of mistaken identity.  The victim was not the person the two suspects were seeking.  After taking photos of the victim’s phone and personal belongings, the two suspects left the scene and were later apprehended by Metro Police.  Along with the aforementioned charges, they were also charged with Impersonating a Police Officer.   The jury found both suspects guilty on all charges.  Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter commended ADA Luis Casas and Metro Police for preparing a difficult case.  Sentencing for Johnson and Spalding will be August 25th, 2022 in Criminal Court Division VI.