A Washington County man jailed on charges of fleeing a January traffic stop is facing additional charges in connection with a slow-speed pursuit in Monessen last week, according to court dockets.
Denzell Darshai Johnson, 23, of Donora, was jailed last week on multiple criminal charges related to a Jan. 26 incident in West Brownsville where troopers say he fled an attempted traffic stop. Authorities charged him in connection with the Monessen incident after he was jailed. In the Monessen case, they say he was driving a damaged Mercedes and fled a traffic stop in the city about 3 a.m. April 12.
According to Monessen police Lt. Aaron Thompson, the pursuit began after a security guard at Cleveland-Cliffs Coke Works reported a black Mercedes with three tires being driven the wrong way in the 300 block of Donner Avenue.
The car was driven onto a sidewalk and into a parking lot as Thompson’s cruiser followed before the driver returned to the street and stopped in another parking area along Oneida Street, according to court papers.
Johnson was traveling about 5 mph during the pursuit but refused to pull over, Thompson said in court documents.
An officer drew his weapon on Johnson before he stopped the car and ran, police reported. He could not be located during a search.
Johnson is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, fleeing and eluding police, flight to avoid apprehension, driving on a suspended license, reckless driving and multiple traffic violations — including driving the wrong direction — in the Monessen incident.
Johnson’s female passenger in the April 12 case, Jamya Dee Avona Leonard, 19, of Uniontown, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison after she was charged with stealing a police cruiser as officers chased Johnson. Leonard crashed the police car into a tree, according to court records.
Leonard is charged with receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and theft after police say she admitted stealing the cruiser.
Johnson has not been arraigned on the Westmoreland complaints, according to online court dockets. He did not have an attorney listed.
