Deputy fires at woman during Stockton traffic stop after mistaking replica gun for a pistol

On June 23, a San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputy stopped Erica Lee Johnson following a call about an argument between two women outside Stockton. Body-camera video shows the officer ordering Johnson not to touch what appeared to be a firearm before she reached down a second time, leading the deputy to fire his weapon. Sheriff Patrick Withrow explained the officer believed the object was a black pistol, but it was later identified as an air-powered replica handgun.

Johnson was wounded, but her injuries were not life-threatening, and she was transported to a medical facility. The sheriff highlighted that officers have only moments to decide when someone appears to reach for a gun after being warned. The incident raised questions about distinguishing realistic replica weapons from real firearms during police encounters. No charges against Johnson have been reported, though the footage shows multiple traffic violations on her part.