A white Streetsboro man who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a dispute over a stolen dirt bike in Akron has been indicted on charges of murder, according to prosecutors.
William Knight, 63, killed Keith Johnson, 24, on March 20, authorities said. Knight told police dispatchers during a 911 call that he “had no choice” but to shoot Johnson, who had tried to flee on the dirt bike. Johnson’s family has said he didn’t know the bike was stolen.
In the days after the shooting, protesters said police should have charged Knight with murder when he was arrested. Knight had been charged with felonious assault when he was arrested, and critics alleged his race played a part in the lesser initial charges.
A grand jury indicted Knight on charges of murder and felonious assault, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday.
Knight’s defense attorney, Kerry O’Brien, could not be reached for comment.
Critics said the harsher charges against Knight “aren’t a win.”
“We won a fight, but we still lost a war,” said Ray Greene, who helped organize protesters after Johnson’s death. “This white man’s family wasn’t charged — when we have black people who were charged with crimes just for being with the person who committed a crime.”
Knight’s daughter and son-in-law were with him at the time of Johnson’s death.
Greene, who described the murder charges against Knight as “showboating for the black community,” said protests will continue. Demonstrators gather at noon every Friday outside the Akron Police Department on South High Street.
Johnson was killed with a gunshot to the head during an evening confrontation over the dirt bike, which police report was stolen from Knight’s son-in-law in Akron last year. His son-in-law located the dirt bike for sale online and contacted the seller — Johnson — to retrieve it.
But Johnson’s family told the Beacon Journal that he bought the bike last year, presumably from the thief. Johnson didn’t know it was a stolen bike, they said.
According to the 911 call, Johnson tried to flee on the bike when he was confronted, and Knight’s son-in-law grabbed hold of the bike to stop Johnson’s escape. Knight, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, told a dispatcher he thought his son-in-law or his daughter could be run over, so he opened fire to protect them.
Knight’s daughter told dispatchers that police had agreed to send an officer as an escort, but the officer was sent to another call. She and her family opted to meet Johnson without a police escort.
Protesters alleged Knight was more willing to fire his gun because Johnson was black. They also alleged Johnson’s race led police to mishandle the case.
After the first protest following Johnson’s death, Akron police Chief James Nice defended his department and denied the allegations of racism.
“That’s bulls***,” Nice told the Beacon Journal last month. “I’m not going to tolerate that nonsense or even get involved in it.”
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com.