On Friday, October 11th, 2024, at approximately 4:09 pm, the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Mercy Hospital of Defiance and informed of a shooting that occurred at 10825 Stevens Rd., Richland Township, Defiance County, Ohio.
Deputies responded to Mercy Hospital, where the two men involved in the shooting were present.
The investigation revealed that Devon Johnson, age 23, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and left shoulder from a 9mm pistol that was being handled by Richard Johnson, age 56.
After Deputies concluded initial interviews, the scene of the shooting was processed on Stevens Rd. The investigation further revealed the men were both handling firearms next to one another, when Richard’s pistol accidentally discharged and unintentionally impacted Devon.
After the incident, Richard immediately transported Devon to Mercy Hospital for treatment. Staff at Mercy Hospital reported Devon to be in stable condition and he was later flown by Mercy Life Flight to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Toledo for further treatment and evaluation.