FL Mom Urged Son Not To Surrender During Police Standoff: Cops

LAKELAND, FL — The mother of 30-year-old Nickolus P. Johnson tried to push past sheriff's deputies and began yelling to her son during a 23-hour police standoff that played out on New Year's Day inside her home, police said.

"She began yelling to her son not to come out of the house and not to cooperate with law enforcement, further endangering the safety of the children and deputies on scene," Scott Wilder of the Polk County Sheriff's Office said Friday. "She was given the opportunity to willingly leave the secured area, to which she became verbally combative with deputies and continued to impede the efforts of officers to bring about a peaceful resolution."

Wilder said 49-year-old Nikki Whigham was arrested and charged with resisting a law enforcement officer without violence. He said she was asked multiple times to stay back but that she continued to try to walk past deputies.

The sheriff's office also released other new details about the standoff, which began around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Johnson opened fire on his former Tampa girlfriend after she tried to pick up her two young children from the Lakeland home of Johnson's mother in the 4200 block of Deeson Road, police said.

"The victim told deputies she went to the residence after she received a phone call from Nickolus Johnson," Wilder said. "She said he was making irrational statements on the phone. She said shortly after she arrived, Johnson displayed a firearm and began firing at her vehicle while she was inside of it."

A bullet struck the front center of the woman's windshield. She fled the area and called the sheriff's office.

"Nickolus barricaded himself inside the residence, armed and still accompanied by the two children," Wilder said. "Deputies responded, and a perimeter was established around the home. Johnson refused to exit the home with the children and refused to let the children leave. However, deputies were able to establish a dialogue with him."

Wilder said Johnson's mother was not home when the standoff began. Johnson's former girlfriend was not injured.

"He advised the children were OK and he was not coming out of the residence," Wilder said earlier. "Over the last 23 hours, Johnson assured deputies he did not want to hurt the children."

But Wilder said Johnson's mood quickly changed between being "irate to calm without warning or provocation" during the standoff, which ended peacefully around 8:20 p.m. Thursday.

"Deputies were able to position themselves near an exterior door to the home and were able to take Johnson into custody when he opened the door," according to Wilder.

Wilder said both children were in good condition as they were reunited with family members.

Johnson was charged with attempted second-degree homicide, shooting into an occupied vehicle, armed kidnapping, child abuse and other charges. He was ordered to undergo an involuntary mental illness evaluation.

"Further investigation of Johnson revealed that he had a history of mental health issues including four Baker Acts [temporary detention for mental health evaluation and treatment] in Polk and Hillsborough counties," Wilder added.