Attempted murder charge filed in Sequatchie shooting

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Randy Lee Johnson of Dunlap

A Sequatchie County, Tenn., man is facing a charge of attempted murder after police said he shot at a man trying to repossess a satellite dish, according to court records and sheriff's office officials.

Randy Lee Johnson, 52, of Dunlap, Tenn., was indicted by a grand jury this month on charges of criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder, possession of a weapon while in commission of a felony and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, Sheriff Ronnie Hitchcock said Tuesday.

Hitchcock said Johnson has felony convictions on charges including burglary, theft, arson and escape going back to 1981, which led to the firearms charges.

Detective Jody Lockhart said federal officials may take the case because of the previous felony convictions and weapons charges.

Lockhart said the latest charges stem from a Jan. 25 incident at Johnson's home at 4296 Henson Gap Road.

Jeremy Seifried, who works for a local satellite television service company, went to another residence at the same address to repossess the satellite system "for delinquent bills," Lockhart said.

Seifried told the detective he mistakenly approached Johnson's home rather than the one behind it, where the dish was to be repossessed, Lockhart said.

When Johnson came out of his house to ask Seifried why he was there, Seifried told Johnson he was there to repossess the satellite dish. Johnson came back out of his home with a rifle, told Seifried to leave the property "and started shooting," Lockhart said.

Seifried, who drove to the sheriff's office to report the incident afterward, said Johnson fired several shots at Seifried's van, striking it "five or six times," Lockhart recalled.

During a search, deputies seized a loaded .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle and a 12-gauge pump shotgun and found six spent shell casings in Johnson's front yard, he said.

Johnson remains free on $15,000 bond and faces a court date on June 25.