Shreveport Man Gets 15-Year Prison Term for Terrorizing Local Hospital
A Shreveport man who terrorized a local hospital one year ago pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court and was sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed by law, 15 years at hard labor.
Johnathan Watson, 34, pleaded guilty to the charge before District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr. Friday, July 8, 2022, three days before his July 11, 2022 trial date.
Watson also pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and received a 15-year hard-labor prison term, to be served concurrently.
Watson reported to work on a cleaning crew at Highland Clinic/Highland Hospital in the 1400 block of East Bert Kouns Industrial Loop July 29, 2021. Once inside, he encountered a woman working on another cleaning crew and told her that as many as four men were inside with guns. He was armed, and the woman noticed this.
His statements and actions with his gun caused the cleanup crew to call hospital security. Watson briefly interacted with hospital security but fled before Shreveport Police arrived. Due to Watson's statements and actions, the hospital went to an active-shooter status, restricting access to and from the parking lot during a hospital shift change, and causing a partial evacuation so a search could be conducted. This resulted in serious disruption to Highland Hospital’s ability to provide services.
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