The only way to win was to play a different game. The visit was one of multiple last summer. They stand in neat, spaced columns. All rights reserved. The best evidenceincluding court recordssuggests that he turned 57 in December. Case against militia leader 'Grandmaster Jay' heads to Jefferson County grand jury. Documents and several eyewitness state Johnson had pointed an AR-style rifle at the officers. He claimed to have enlisted the Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that has been blowing up pipelines and other infrastructure in Nigeria, as part of his coalition, which will eventually be the military backbone of the UBKN. When Grandmaster Jay walked into Millions Crab, a seafood joint in suburban Cincinnati, the waitstaff looked alarmed. It allegedly happened just after 8:30 p.m., as officers were conducting surveillance of demonstrators at Jefferson Square in downtown Louisville. All lives!). Unless you have a deep, personal, hands-on experience with the past.. There is no set future. In Germany, Jay was treated with the utmost respect, and he said he enjoyed a reprieve from the American racial hierarchy. At one point in our conversation, I thought I might have detected such a limit. Watching a mob storm the Capitol with a Confederate battle flag should freak out any American who hates racism, and inspire such a person to seek a radical cure for a deep political sickness. Ironically, though, the governments confiscation of his weapons has proved at least one of Jays prophecies. He faces federal charges in Louisville for pointing a gun at people on a roof. A court date has been scheduled for April 25. john johnson, who goes by the name grandmaster j. we to guilty this morning to five counts of wanton endangerment. Copyright 2020 WDRB Media. Twenty-twenty is a great example. WebThe Official Channel of The Official Grand Master Jay, Supreme Commander, NFAC I thanked Jay for his time, and he thanked me for mine. JOHN JOHNSON, WHO GOES BY THE NAME GRAND MTEASR JAY, WAS IN LOUISVILLE TWICE PROTESTING THE DEATH OF BREONNA TAYLOR, INCLUDG ONIN DERBY DAY IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YE.AR THE DAY BEFORE DERBY, PROSECUTORS SAY HE POINTED A RIFLE AT 5 LMPD OFFICERS POSITIONED ON THE ROOF OF A NEARBY BUILDING. Meanwhile, Jay acquired a record of violence. The men and women are ragtag and amateur, and their uniforms are not, well, uniform. CRAWFORD | Not skipping ahead: Setting the scene for Kentucky Derby 149, will Forte reign? We didnt create that. John Fitzgerald Johnson, also known as Grand Master Jay, is facing state and federal charges for allegedly pointing a gun at Louisville Metro Police Because of Jays patrilineal theory of race, he would presumably recognize a smaller number still.). Im a student of history, he said. Kelly Clarkson's Home Collection Is Up to 74% Off During Way Day Deals, The Best Wayfair Way Day Deals 2023 Starting at $30. These people are screaming our name while theyre resisting," he said, although no such screams have been independently documented. The Disturbing History of the So-Called Boogaloo Bois, Blackout Day 2020: What You Need to Know About the Economic Boycott, Patriot Act: What to Know About Your Privacy & Web History, anti-racism rally outside the U.S.Embassy in London, explaining to Roland Martin in a July interview. That's where Grandmaster Jay was indicted on federal charges for brandishing a firearm, assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. Black Lives Matter was the forefront of the pro-Black movement until it was hijacked by other entities, so it does not represent the will or the sentiment of the Black nation. Jay posted a video from Louisville showing white militia members expressing concern that the NFAC would annihilate them. Public order is the hostage of the most radical gunman present. White people decided to act up and show us their true colors, Jay said. 'Grandmaster Jay' pleads not guilty to federal charges, due back in court in February, Pletcher's Forte, Tapit Trice are morning line favorites for Kentucky Derby 149. At that time, LMPD officers at the scene received a radio transmission stating that a group of "six to eight heavily armed individuals" were parked on Armory Place, near a parking garage, according to court documents. Grandmaster Jay might have an easier time describing the group by saying what it is not: neither left or right, not anti-semitic, not a gun club and not a social club. John Johnson, a.k.a. Jay described its recruiting strategy: You must be Black, he said. Washington man isn't going on a vacation. According to Jay, Were not here to attack anyone. The Not Fucking Around Coalitionbetter known as the NFACis the latest organization to join the likes of the Boogaloo Bois, Oath Keepers, and the 3 Percenters, the nationwide entitiesthat have taken root amidthe craziness going on right now. He attained the rank of sergeant, went absent without leave just over a year later, then escaped court martial by getting out of the Army a third time, again under other-than-honorable conditions, and again reduced to private. The tradition of armed resistance persisted even as the civil-rights movement succeeded by rejecting this fearful symmetry: Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, and John Lewis showed that Black people without guns were much more formidable. Too much talking. A JEFFERSON COUNTY GRAND JURY CHARGED JOHNSON WITH 5 COUNTS OF. John Fitzgerald Johnson, who also is known as Grandmaster Jay, is the enigmatic founder of the Not FuckingAround Coalition. NFAC leader John "Grandmaster Jay" Johnson faces state and federal charges over allegedly aiming a rifle at officers before the 2020 Kentucky Derby. After Jays arrest in December, he ordered his followers into a stand-down position. The militias that the NFAC opposes, such as the Oath Keepers, were active during December and Januaryand because of their presence at the storming of the Capitol, they now feel the heat of law enforcement. On August 21, 2017, he witnessed the total eclipse of the sun while standing outside the city hall of Carbondale, Illinois. Jay told me that he already had to vet his recruits carefully. Time for the action, he said. Leader of the NFAC John Jay Fitzgerald Johnson, also known as Grand Master Jay, gives direction to members of the NFAC at G.G. On January 6, at the U.S. Capitol, the insurrectionists included militia members from the groups the NFAC has arrayed itself against. In the July gathering, three people were wounded when a firearm accidentally discharged ahead of the march. Part of the process of creating a new country (under a treaty known as the Montevideo Convention) is demonstrating that enough people are eager to live there permanently and can administer the new state. He led a crowd of tens of thousands across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge to protest the mass shooting. Jays own record is blemished with accusations of violence (he denies them), and amid his long sermons about racial maturity and spiritual self-awareness, he sometimes makes alarming threats. 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According to prosecutors with the Commonwealth's Attorney, the charges stem from Johnson and the militia taking part in a protest on Sept. 4, is 2020, in Louisville. The Commonwealth's Attorney said the indictment in Jefferson County also includes three additional local law enforcement officers. It has been described by news outlets as a "Black militia ". One man has a Texas-flag patch Velcroed to his body armor; a woman taps the trigger guard of her AR-15 with a three-inch yellow fingernail. There is no problem. Federally, he's charged with one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in relation to the same incident.The NFAC formations in Louisville were large, but mostly peaceful and without issue. (If he is wrong, its only because a Black militia that attempted to storm Congress would have been fired upon by law enforcement long before it penetrated the Capitol.) Two photos were included in the court filing that allegedly shows Johnson aiming his firearm at the officers. When Jay orders his people into motion, they go. Led by Grandmaster Jay (John Fitzgerald Johnson), the NFAC has been posited as an eye for an eye organization, in opposition to those aforementioned organizations, and hasloudly called for Black citizens to arm themselves in the face ofwhite supremacy. (That might explain his given name: He would have been born just nine days after the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.) After the murder of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer, he appeared at the side of Scotts family. Jay had run out of boilerplate. Updated: 5:01 PM EST November 9, 2022. If he is indicted, he could stand trial. John Fitzgerald Johnson, known as Grandmaster Jay, is the leader of the NFAC, self-described as a Black nationalist paramilitary organization. He also said he had a health scare. Were not anti-anything. And we appear to be the target of an undeclared domestic war against African Americans.". He will be formally arraigned Monday. As the founder and commander of Americas largest all Black militia, his organization has stood up to the powers to be in the face of such atrocities as the A month later, the police raided his apartment. Even facts as straightforward as his age are not simple to determine. A lot of times when people talk about time travel, they always run into the paradigm If you change something in the past, then youll screw up your present. Jay shook his head. But my goodness, the weaponryAR-15s galore, sniper rifles with scopes and bipods, high-capacity magazines, and enough tactical clothing to resupply an Army-surplus store. 22, 2021 at 11:37 AM PDT. He considers Germanys a genuine effort by society to restore and repair those people who were the victims of this Holocaust., Like so much else about Jay, this passion for European Jewry presents a contradiction: Elsewhere, he has quoted Hitler approvingly and suggested that the Jews of Europethose people running around calling themselves the Jewsare imposters. So he and others showed up to the demonstration. Plenty of Trump supporters believed that their man had a mystical ability to outwit his opponents and bend previously unbendable laws of politics. There are multiple futures depending on the timeline that you set in motion. He said one cannot really change the pastjust mint a new timeline. He said yes, but I pressed him to continue. The coalition is larger than the older [white] militias. We dont understand why we have to be anti-somebody because we love our people. According to Grandmaster Jay, the reasoning for the groups formation is simple. The Commonwealth's Attorney said the indictment in Jefferson County also includes three additional local law enforcement officers.Prosecutors said Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the state charges. Youve always had a demographic of veterans and grown adults who are law-abiding citizens who are responsible gun owners who understand the Constitution., According to Grandmaster Jay, the mission of the NFAC is two-fold. On his YouTube channel, Jay posted a video of his troops in formation, and local news stations ran aerial shots. NFAC shows up and decide they want to wipe us all outwere gone in seconds., These are volatile situations, Amy Iandiorio, an investigative researcher for the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism, told me when I asked her about the NFAC. His group, armed with guns, moved into Louisville twice in the wake of Breonna Taylor's death for what they described as peaceful formations: Once in July and again the day before the 2020 Kentucky Derby in September. Case against militia leader 'Grandmaster Jay' heads to Jefferson County grand jury. (I wonder how many of them regard Jays fraudulent past the way Trump supporters regard the former presidentsi.e., if such a clown could get this far, he must have divine favor.) Grandmaster Jay, leader of the NFAC. WebJohn Jay Fitzgerald Johnson aka: Grand master jay, John Johnson, John Fitzgerald. When I talked with him in February, Jay gloated about his enemies legal jeopardy, with some justification. The NFAC then runs a background check on the potential member. When I spoke with him after January 6, he still slipped into periodic fits of rage at the impertinence of my questions, but he stressed that the NFAC is peaceful and wants to open up a dialogue and stabilize the situation.. Ultimately, Jay calls for descendants of the Portuguese and Atlantic slave trade to separate themselves from others and create a Black ethnostate. Grandmaster Jay is firm when he says, "If you continue to offend us we will be prepared to defend ourselves.". Laws, he told me, are just paper, and it is only reasonable that Black people arm and train themselves to act as an immediate bulwark against the continued human-rights abuses perpetrated against them. Adding to his frustrations was the racism Grandmaster Jay says appeared during the Trump Administration. He is due back in court in February. So it proved to be fertile ground for the creation of the NFAC, the same way it was fertile ground in the 60s to create the Black Panthers. The organization is roughly three years old, according to Grandmaster Jay, but only recently has the NFAC reached the nationwide discussion about race and police brutality, with a number of demonstrations in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky. (Source: Oldham County Detention Center), Surveillance images that federal authorities say show John Johnson (Grandmaster Jay) pointing a rifle at officers. Additionally, hes a former director of a global cloud integration practice and solutions architect, according to his campaign site. Were not going to dig into who I am, he said. Moore Park in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 5, 2020. According to the documents, the FBI reviewed the surveillance video from the incident, which consisted of real-time crime center camera footage. In Louisville, just two hours from where Jay and I sat, the NFAC first revealed the extent of its capabilities. Johnson is accused of pointing a rifle at Louisville Metro Police officers and federal officers the night before the 2020 Kentucky Derby, according to a probable cause affidavit. WebGrandmaster Jay, the outspoken leader of the NFAC, has been convicted. WebGrand Master Jay explains in 2016 interview why he was at the trump rally #NFAC. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. I was caught up in all thatI, too, was waving signs and chanting, he said. On January 6, the NFAC had no presence in Washington: The District of Columbia does not allow open carry of weapons. Ive studied the documents. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Few paid attention until Jay showed up with dozens of armed followers in Georgia last year, and phrased his new beliefs in a militant idiom. But Jay has loyal followers, maybe in spite of these eccentricities, and maybe because of them. From that point on, he was spitting knowledge on social media, much of it about alien spacecraft (visitors) and odd phenomena he noticed in the sky. Its leader, Grandmaster Jay, whose real name is John Fitzgerald Johnson, retained the cocky, steel-eyed confidence that has made him a messiah to tens of thousands of Black Americans. ". In one of Jays videos, he tells his followers that he intends to meet each and every last one of you face-to-face, to conduct an interrogation to screen out fakes, wannabes, snakes, and spiders. Jay says he will swear people in after they have put your life on the line by standing armed in an NFAC formation, in a situation where other armed groups might start trouble. He has already planned an appeal to a verdict by a Louisville jury. CONTACT GMJ. Jay offers a remedy prepackaged and ready to deliver. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and New York City. Someone has said before, Well, if it had been you guys there would have been bodies on the front lawn. I said, Well, its not so much whether or not it would be us, its how does the United States handle this and appear fair and equitable in the eyes of all citizens?' After his final discharge, Jay disappeared for several years. In 2020, however, it showed up in larger numbers (Jay claims thousands, but hundreds seems more realistic) at protests over Confederate monuments and over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia; at protests over the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky; and at protests over the police shooting of Trayford Pellerin in Lafayette, Louisiana. How can you get even 1 million armed followers if just a few years ago you were a failed DJ and now you believe that San Pellegrino will give you preternatural mental powers? STEPHON: NEW TONIGHT, THE LEADER OF A BLACK MILITIA WAS INDICTED ON CHARGES. Amazon Has Uncanny Dupes of CB2's Popular Dining Chair for Hundreds Less. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. The group, for the most part, is well run (some use an accidental firearm discharge as an example of its lack of organization), with all of its public actions being coordinated with law enforcement and local governments, which has resulted in no known violence. This GoFundMe was organized by his friend Eleanor Harvey, a native of Oakland, CA that now resides in the Inland Empire of Southern CA. LOUISVILLE, Ky. John Johnson, the leader of the NFAC also known as Grandmaster Jay, appeared in federal court for sentencing Wednesday morning. His social-media accounts are frozen, and he faces a possible 20-year sentencewhich may or may not be a deterrent, if he thinks his end is near anyway. Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! Grandmaster Jay is the head of the NFAC-- the Not F**king Around Coalition. Through these efforts, the NFAC encourages Black citizens with the means and ways to take advantage of the Second Amendment and their right to responsible gun ownership. Jay told me that all the allegations against him are bullshit. By bringing them up, federal prosecutors are trying to character assassinate him. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. He named four but refused to identify the fifth. Surely, though, there must be limits to what Jays followers can accept. Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting. Jay would not accept a foot soldier who showed up for inspection unarmed. Yet it is rarely good news when you learn that a sectarian racist is raising an army, stockpiling weapons, demanding total loyalty, and suggesting that he is a messiah. Jay speaks prophetically, and sometimes apocalyptically. (Right-wingers, gun enthusiasts, and ex-military types on social media ridicule Jay for his and his followers poor weapons discipline.). WebGrandmaster Jay, the outspoken leader of the NFAC, has been convicted. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A presentation in front of a grand jury trial with the leader of a self-proclaimed militia organization has been delayed. Prosecutors said Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the state charges. The filtered water must have lowered his inhibitions, because over the next two hours Jay became more garrulous. Unknown Track - Unknown Artist. Armed self-defense has been around at least since Cyril Briggs, who founded the African Blood Brotherhood in 1919. He later claimed to have worked as the director of a global cloud-integration practice and solutions architect. He tried a career as a hip-hop DJ, which took an embarrassing turn when stars including Grandmaster Flash and DJ Jazzy Jeff accused him of plagiarism and rsum exaggeration. According to Pentagon records, he joined the military in 1989. In the July gathering, three people were wounded when a firearm accidentally discharged ahead of the march.In just two days, May 28, it will be the one year anniversary since protests first filled the streets of Louisville in response to the deaths of Taylor, George Floyd and more. In the July gathering, three people were wounded when a firearm was accidentally discharged ahead of the march. NFAC says it is the definition of a Black Militia and is the largest one in the U.S., with chapters in almost every city. 00:00 / 04:31. His group, armed with guns, moved into Louisville twice in the wake of Breonna Taylor's death for what they described as peaceful formations: Once in July and again the day before the 2020 Kentucky Derby in September.In December, Johnson was federally charged for pointing a rifle at Louisville Metro Police Department officers, FBI and Secret Service agents, who were on top of the Jefferson County Grand Jury Building. Its an extremely top-down, chain-of-command organization, perfect for people who like to take orders, or give them. I had five MOSs, Jay said. His website, onlywecanfixus.com, advertised a bid for the White House on an independent ticket. He's delivering life-saving stem cells, Women In Government: A conversation between Kristie Dukes Davis and Victoria Parks, DHL tug and ramp workers at CVG say yes to the Teamsters, How to vote in Ohio's special primary election May 2 or check if you need to vote at all. Dalton Godbey joined WDRB News as a general assignment reporter in 2019 after spending two years reporting in Bowling Green. In meetings prior to the incident, FBI Public Corruption and Civil Rights Task Force Sergeant Chris Lane said Johnson had been told multiple times officers would be on rooftops and to not point firearms, as it would be perceived as a threat. Johnsons attorney, David Lambertus, did not deny Johnson had pointed the rifle, but said Johnson did so to identify who was on the rooftop of downtowns Commonwealth building. NFAC says it is the definition of a Black Militia and is the largest one in the U.S., with chapters in almost every city. BOZICH | Who would have beaten Secretariat? WebThe official version of the biography of the Grandmaster Jay. Grandmaster Jay (center) says he urges the members of the NFAC to stay within the law, when demonstrating, unlike what happened on January 6. Very interesting, Jay said, speaking slowly and deliberately for the first time since his performance that night had begun. In early December, the FBI raided his apartment and arrested him on charges that, during a September demonstration in Louisville, he pointed a rifle at federal agents, blinding them with its mounted light. But Jay told me that when he floated Wyoming to his followers, their response was: Hell nonobody wants to go to Wyoming. (Shelby notes that the desire to establish a Black homeland on American territory likewise has a long history, showing up in Harry Haywoods book Negro Liberation in the 1940s and the Republic of New Afrika movement in the 60s and 70s.). Jays disarming has occasioned a shift in his emphasis, if not tone. Indeed, of the two of us, I was the one who felt sheepish, not because I was wasting his time but because it occurred to me that while I waited, I could have warned the servers that my dining companion was often armed and that he might look as if he had just stepped out of The Matrix. [7] He swooned during the eclipse, felt a wave of energy, and began preaching the ideas of the NFAC soon after. Grand Master Jay, or John Fitzgerald Johnson, is accused of pointing an AR-style rifle at federal agents and police officers in downtown Louisville. 00:00 / 00:00. No. He is a former soldier, a failed political candidate, a hip-hop DJ, a rambling egotist, and a prolific self-promoter. Stories worth watching 16 videos. I dont have to justify my experiences in my position to anyone.). Background: Case against militia leader 'Grandmaster Jay' heads to Jefferson County grand jury. This may galvanize inquiring minds, but the road to becoming an actual member is fairly straightforward. He's delivering life-saving stem cells, Women In Government: A conversation between Kristie Dukes Davis and Victoria Parks, DHL tug and ramp workers at CVG say yes to the Teamsters, How to vote in Ohio's special primary election May 2 or check if you need to vote at all. It has a militarylike structure, fields an army of hundreds of heavily armed men and women, subscribes to esoteric racist doctrines, opposes Black Lives Matter, and follows a leader who thinks we live in a period of apocalyptic tribulation signaled by the movements of celestial bodies. I was there to escort Walter Scotts mother into the funeral. He said he was an ordained minister at the time. Jay paused. RELATED: NFAC leader 'Grandmaster Jay' facing state charges after allegedly pointing gun at officers Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. (By contrast, aerial photos suggest that the white militiamen present that day could have fit in a small school bus.) (Kemet, Jay explained, is the original name of Egypt, which means land of the Blacks.) A patch on Grandmaster Jays body armor bore the new nations initials, UBKN. But when you return to your timeline, nothing has changed! He continued. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. After basic training, the Army assigns every soldier a military occupational specialty, or MOS: 11B is an infantryman, 94S is a Patriot system repairer, 12K is a plumber. Dressed from mask to shoes in black, he was four hours late to our meeting, and remorseless. I'm a title. But even those who originally joined with peaceful intent can become jaded, given enough time, injustice, and absentee leadership. Outside of thenegligent gun discharge from July, the NFAC has argued that theLGBTQ+ agendais responsible for the Black Lives Matter movements failings. With Black members of the LGBTQ+ community being ostracized and subjectedtowhite terrorism, one hopes that the NFAC is not fucking around when it comes to advocating for all Black people. Some people come to change the world, he said, and some come to end it all. The latter, he implied, are unwelcome in the NFAC and have to be screened out. Millions Crab is a family restaurant, and on that placid November evening, Jaythe supreme commander of the Not Fucking Around Coalitionwas wearing body armor rated to take a pistol round directly to the chest. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to the affidavit in support of his indictment in Louisville, he was arrested in 1995 for punching a woman in the face, and for menacing a man with a 20-gauge shotgun. He was an independent candidate for U.S. president in 2016 and has stated: What were talking [about] here is a legal action that takes us from being freed slaves and descendants of slaves in a country that classifies us by color and denigrates us by race to a place where we are citizens of our own country, he said. Like a Rubiks Cube.. Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear.