Redding high school principal charged with resisting police, public drunkenness
The principal at Enterprise High School in Redding has been charged with resisting a police officer and public intoxication in connection to an incident at his home in February.
Ryan Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 2 during an arraignment in Shasta County Superior Court. Johnson, 47, volunteered to take time off work after his arrest. Shasta Union High School Superintendent Jim Cloney said the principal was off work for about a week.
Police were called to Johnson's home shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 because Johnson was allegedly standing in front of his ex-wife's car, blocking her from driving away, according to a Redding police report of the incident.
Johnson told the Record Searchlight he called police that night for assistance with a child custody issue. A Redding police report says Johnson's ex-wife was taking their daughter with her as she left in her vehicle.
When police arrived at his home officers told him and his ex-wife to "disperse." Johnson, who has been a principal at Enterprise for the past nine years said he went into his home, but he was arrested after he went back outside to seek clarification with the officers.
Enterprise High School Principal Ryan Johnson speaks during the Sept. 29, 2024, dedication of a sculpture created in the memory of the five EHS cheerleaders who lost their lives in a 1968 crash on Highway 44.
Johnson's current wife told police that her husband drank a bottle of Captain Morgan rum and that "when he starts drinking he doesn't stop and gets angry," according to a police report.
"I asked her if he assaulted her (and) she told me he did not, and she hid from him while (Johnson) was arguing with his son," the report says, referring to his current wife.
His wife asked the officer when her husband "would be getting out of jail due to her wanting to get away from him due to her being concerned for her and her child's safety," the officer wrote in a report. The report does not specify which child she referred to.
Johnson's wife, Tammy, told the Record Searchlight that the police report was inaccurate, saying she was not hiding from her husband, and she was not afraid he would hurt her or her children.
On Tuesday, Johnson told the Record Searchlight he did not drink an entire bottle of rum and that he did not engage in any domestic violence or threaten anyone the night he was arrested. He said he was horsing around with his 18-year-old son and another one of his children misinterpreted that and thought they were fighting.
He said he has not been accused of or charged with domestic violence. In a follow-up report, police interviewed Johnson's wife, who told an officer that her husband had never abused her.
"I guess my thing is, I just want to make sure that that's noted because I'm not a violent person, nor have I ever been accused of it, nor have I ever come close to doing that ― and clearly the charges aren't reflective of that. The charges are drunk and disorderly and obstructing an officer," Johnson told the newspaper.
One witness told police Johnson was a "six or seven" on a scale of one to 10, with one being a single drink and 10 being heavily intoxicated, according to a police report. Johnson said he was not administered a blood-alcohol test the night he was arrested.
Police said Johnson resisted when officers tried to put handcuffs on him, but Johnson said he was not resisting. It was difficult for him to put his arms behind his back because he is so big, listing his height at 5 feet, 11 inches and his weight at 250 pounds.
After they arrested him, police took him to the Shasta County Jail, where he was booked and released on his own recognizance, he said.
Asked if anyone brought up his arrest after he returned to work at school and what students should take from his incident, Johnson said he has taken responsibility for his actions and has tried to be transparent about what happened.
"I'm holding myself accountable. I did so publicly, and I'll continue to just work through the process, just like anyone else would," he said. "So if anything, I'd like to publicly thank my staff and students and parents for supporting me through this process," Johnson said.
Cloney said he continues to support Johnson, and said there is a lesson for students in what Johnson is going through.
"I think Ryan did a good job as far as being very transparent about what he was dealing with for both staff, students and parents. I think he was proactive in communicating that he obviously had some things to work on, and I think he's been very sincere in that.
"So I think, if anything, I would hope students would take away that obviously adults and people in their lives they see as mentors can certainly make mistakes, but how you respond to that is really the important part," Cloney said.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Enterprise principal charged with resisting police, public drunkenness
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