By Curtis Johnson
Charleston Daily Mail
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — A shooting and subsequent standoff interrupted life for residents in a four-block section of 10th Avenue in Huntington.
It all started about 8 a.m. Tuesday when authorities received word of a shooting near 8th Street and 10th Avenue. Investigators believe an argument between two men led to gunfire as they and a couple of others rode through the area in the same vehicle.
Detectives quickly identified Phillip Gregory Johnson as their lead suspect. Further investigating linked the 27-year-old to a residence at 1138 10th Ave.
A nearly two-hour standoff ensued before Johnson walked out of the house about 12:45 p.m., knelt on a sidewalk and surrendered to a S.W.A.T. officer from the Huntington Police Department. The standoff ended without incident as Johnson reached out to multiple friends, including one woman who worked with a police lieutenant to ensure a peaceful resolution.
Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook praised his officers, saying any such standoff presents challenges. That is especially true when it takes place in the middle of the day in a residential neighborhood. Officers are faced with not only securing the suspect, but also controlling an environment filled with innocent bystanders who live nearby or are attracted to the scene out of concern and/or curiosity.
“It’s a challenge you just have to work through,” he said. “It is somewhat confusing. That’s why you rely on good command and control.”
A criminal complaint charges Johnson with felony malicious wounding. It states the Huntington man fired several shots from a handgun, some of which struck a victim identified as Kyle Gibbs.
Holbrook said the shooting did not necessarily occur in the 800 block of 10th Avenue. Investigators believe the duo’s dispute started in the vehicle and ultimately led to both exiting the car. At a midmorning press conference, Holbrook said it was unclear as to when the gunshots were fired.
First reports had indicated the victim received four gunshot wounds.
Holbrook was unable to provide a precise number of wounds, but the chief confirmed Gibbs sought medical help by walking one block to an area gasoline station. That’s where an ambulance transported him to Cabell Huntington Hospital. He underwent surgery that morning. His condition was listed as satisfactory Tuesday night.
Holbrook described Johnson as a lead suspect, however the chief didn’t rule out the possibility of additional arrests. He said officers would base any additional charges upon the extent of injuries and level of participation from other individuals.
Earlier in the day, Holbrook said investigators were searching for a couple of passengers who helped Gibbs’ attacker flee the scene.
At about 6:15 p.m., Kandyce Michelle Rogers, 23, was booked in the Western Regional Jail on a charge of accessory before the fact, a felony, in connection with the incident. She was being held on $25,000 bond.
Investigators treated Tuesday’s standoff as that of a barricaded gunman. S.W.A.T. members surrounded the house and area streets were closed.
But inside it was Johnson who decided to reach out with multiple telephone calls. One was answered by a woman who approached Huntington Police Lt. B.J. Wamsley, yelling that Johnson wanted to surrender. With that, the lieutenant quickly shifted her role from that of crowd control to one that facilitated communication between Johnson and authorities.
“It keeps the (suspect) engaged,” Wamsley said. “They’re not having time just to sit there and think about what’s going on. You keep them in a dialogue.”
Wamsley described Johnson’s telephone calls to the woman as intermittent. That was due to him also having contacted his mother and a brother from within the house. Holbrook said investigators believe Johnson claimed his innocence in each of those calls.
The chief was unsure of Johnson’s relationship to the 1138 10th Ave. residence. He said a woman at the house initially denied others were present, but officers conducting surveillance in the area already had spotted a person matching Johnson’s description in the area.
In 2004, Johnson was convicted of felony malicious wounding and wanton endangerment at age 19. That netted him a prison sentence after having pleaded no contest on two counts of each charge, according to court and jail records.
The apparent site of Tuesday’s shooting was alongside a day care center. Holbrook said no children were on its playground at the time of the incident. Those inside were kept safe because doors to the facility are locked at all times.
Members of the FBI’s Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force were assisting in the investigation. Holbrook said their assistance was not indicative of a drug-related motive. Instead, he said investigators on the task force possess valuable intelligence that can assist detectives in such a case.
Johnson is lodged at the Western Regional Jail on a $300,000 cash only bond.
Copyright 2012 Charleston Newspapers