Perp arrested for weekend shooting at Hardeeville motel also faces slew of drug charges
Police have arrested Hardeeville man Joseph Latroy Johnson, 43, in connection with a weekend shooting that left one man hurt, the city’s investigators announced Thursday morning. Johnson also faces a handful of drug charges.
Around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, officers were notified of a male who had been shot in the parking lot of Deluxe Inn, a motel on Whyte Hardee Blvd. in downtown Hardeeville. Patrolmen attempted to pull over the the suspect’s vehicle after spotting it near the scene, but he sped away southbound on Highway 17.
The accused gunman lost control of the car, crashing near the Lowcountry Hauling waste management building about five miles south of the motel. He fled on foot, evading capture from police’s aerial drone and K-9 tracking team.
Investigators identified Johnson as the shooter the night of the incident through outdoor surveillance footage from the motel and obtained his arrest warrants the next morning, according to Hardeeville Police Department spokesperson Chief Sam Woodward. Hardeeville police and Jasper County deputies arrested the man early Thursday at his mother’s home on Good Hope Road.
The gunshot victim was taken to a local hospital for a single bullet wound to his chest. He had not been discharged as of Thursday afternoon but his condition had improved significantly, Woodward said.
Surveillance video revealed a “confrontation” between Johnson and the victim in the parking lot, according to Woodward, but the chief did not answer further questions on the motive behind the shooting, including whether the altercation stemmed from a drug deal.
Johnson has been accused of attempted murder, failure to stop for police and a pair of firearms violations. Police also seized cocaine, methamphetamines and fentanyl from the man, charging him with four counts for possession and intent to distribute the substances.
Friday night’s shooting appeared to be Johnson’s first violent offense, judicial records show. He pleaded guilty in January 2023 to possession of meth and cocaine but did not receive a prison sentence.
This story was originally published January 18, 2024 at 1:42 PM.
