Last week, a white man in South Carolina—Sean Michael-Emmrich Johnson—went viral after a video was posted online of him lambasting Hispanic men in a car. Johnson claimed they didn’t have a license, removed the keys from the vehicle and told the men “You’re going back to Mexico.”
Now, he’s faces multiple charges including impersonating an ICE officer. The disturbing incident happened Wednesday (Jan. 29) when Sullivan’s Island officers were dispatched after receiving a report of a person operating a vehicle without a license.
A 911 call related to the incident revealed that a caller, whom authorities identified as Johnson, told dispatchers about a “Mexican” who “doesn’t have a driver’s license” and asked for police to respond to the 2500 block of Ion Avenue.
“He’s driving. He doesn’t have a driver’s license,” Johnson said on the call. “Yeah, he’s uh, he’s illegal.”
The Sullivan’s Island Police Department stated that they didn’t know about the clip circulating until they after started their investigation. “It was later brought to the police department’s attention of a disturbing video, which has now been released on social media,” the department said.
“This video displayed possible criminal actions by the caller that were not initially reported to police while on-scene.”
Johnson was arrested on Friday (Jan. 31) and charged with felony kidnapping, impersonating a law enforcement officer, larceny, and third-degree assault and battery. He posted bond for those charges stemming from the incident.
Johnson was released before two additional kidnapping charges were brought against him Monday (Feb. 3) after additional warrants were obtained. Local news outlet ABC News 4 reported that he ultimately turned himself in and that a bond has yet to be announced.
After a bond hearing on Monday, Johnson received a $200K surety bond split between the two additional felony kidnapping charges.
According to Live 5 News, Sullivan’s Island Police Department requested the judge to inhibit him from traveling onto Sullivan’s Island as part of the bond conditions.
The judge ultimately ordered Johnson to abide by standard bond restrictions, which forbid him to contact the victims or travel within five blocks of their homes, churches or places of employment.