Winter Park man arrested for attempted murder at Wawa

A Winter Park man was arrested last Wednesday after shooting at two men outside a Wawa gas station, just moments after asking them for a cigarette.

Witnesses told the Winter Park Police Department that James Johnson, 59, was asking locals for money and cigarettes at the Wawa located off of North Orlando Avenue at around 4 a.m. when he approached two men sitting outside the convenience store.

The report from the Winter Park Police Department said that Johnson asked the men for a cigarette and was turned down. Johnson reportedly opened the car door of his white Buick and reached inside.

“He said something along the lines of, ‘I’ve got something for you,’” Lt. Pam Marcum of the Winter Park Police Department said.

Johnson pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at the men. Both shots missed, with one hitting the side of the building and another flying in another direction, according to the report.

Two officers working a traffic detail across the street heard the shots and pursued Johnson, who had fled from the scene in his Buick.

“The guy did it almost at a place where there was an officer sitting right across the street at the time, blatantly with his lights on working a traffic detail,” Capt. Jeff Biles said. “So for him to go that far, knowing that the officers were right there, he just had a blatant disregard for justice.”

Johnson was followed to his home along Carver Street, where he stepped out of his car and began to approach the officers in a “threatening and violent manner.”

The officers told Johnson to get on the ground, to which he responded, “Shoot me.”

Johnson was tazed by one of the officers and arrested.

The Winter Park resident has since been charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder, two counts of attempted aggravated battery with a firearm, shooting in a public building, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, threatening a public servant, criminal mischief, resisting an officer without violence and fleeing the scene of a crime.

Shootings are rare in Winter Park, Marcum said, adding that the police department has worked hard to keep residents and visitors as safe as possible.

“We urge citizens to please call us if there’s somebody suspicious begging for money,” Marcum said.

“We usually don’t have incidents like this in Winter Park…. Luckily we were close by.”