LOUISVILLE, Ky. — John Johnson, the leader of the NFAC also known as Grandmaster Jay, appeared in federal court for sentencing Wednesday morning.
A Louisville judge sentenced Johnson to seven years and two months in prison after he reportedly pointed an assault rifle at Louisville Metro Police officers staked out on rooftops in September 2020.
After his release, he will be under two years of supervised release.
Earlier this year, Johnson was convicted of two charges: assaulting a federal task force officer and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
On Wednesday, the judge dismissed the first count of assaulting a federal task force officer, which would have brought a higher sentence of up to 20 years.
Supporters and loved ones were disappointed in the judge's decision. They say they will not give up until Grandmaster Jay is free.
"He should've left out of here a free man but it seems very obvious that the feds want to make an example out of this man," Kathleen Parks, founder of the National Action Network, said. "So we will support an appeal. We've seen this play book before with Malcolm X, we've seen it with Dr. King, we saw it with Angela Davis; she was a political prisoner, and so is master jay."
The incident happened the night before the 2020 Kentucky Derby, when the NFAC was in Louisville for a racial justice protest for Breonna Taylor.
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