Jamaican teen died after possible racist harassment in Pennsylvania

Moments later the video shows several white boys chasing young Justin through a Lower Paxton Township neighborhood. Security camera footage from the home shows teenagers chasing someone in front of the Johnson home. One of the teens is heard saying, “He went back to f***ing Africa!”

Justin’s father, Orville Johnson, told CBS 21 Monday that his last conversation with his son was a phone call Friday when Justin told him he was running as fast as he could to get away from a group of other kids. “The Monday, previous Monday, those kids were here, and they knew each other from school,” Orville said. “Why would you chase him?”

On Friday night, Orville Johnson says three young men — who police have not named — showed up at their home on Bianca Drive in the Stray Winds Development. Security footage shows Justin going outside and then appears to show the boys running while racially insensitive language is being used.

Johnson’s father said he returned home from work Friday night to find his son face down on the kitchen floor. Orville called for help, and when emergency crews arrived, they attempted CPR before taking Johnson to Hershey Medical Center where the teen was pronounced dead.

Justin Johnson was a sophomore at Central Dauphin High School who moved to the district two years ago from Jamaica. On what would’ve been his 17th birthday on Tuesday, an autopsy was released by the Dauphin County Coroner’s office. The Dauphin County Coroner released the results of Johnson’s autopsy.

According to the coroner, Johnson’s official cause of death was complications of sickle cell disease. The coroner also identified cardiomyopathy — a heart disorder — as another significant condition.

The manner of death was ruled natural. The coroner says Johnson passed away after falling unconscious in his home on Bianca Way on Friday night, April 26

According to his father, Justin has sickle cell disease and was not supposed to exert himself.

By the time Orville got home he found his son unconscious on the floor.

“I called 911 immediately and they told me what to do. They called me and said I have to come to the hospital because they’re not getting a heartbeat, and I didn’t see him since,” Orville Johnson said.

Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo says even though the autopsy shows Justin’s death was due to his medical condition, that doesn’t mean the case is closed.

“It is a factor that militates against criminal liability but it is not dispositive,” said Chardo. “One of the factors we look at, did the other individuals know of the circumstances? Did they cause stress intentionally or recklessly with malice? We look at all those factors, so we haven’t closed it automatically just because the coroner determined that it was natural causes, we’re still looking at it.”

Chardo said they are also looking into the language used by the boys in video captured of the events.

“It appears that these young men were friends, we’re looking at their communication to ensure that it wasn’t a false friendship and that they were actually communicating or being friendly along the way and that there was no animus on the part of the people outside the house,” said Chardo.

“My son is a special son. He’s very special, I mean that’s my life,” Orville said.

No charges have been filed at this time, according to Lower Paxton Township Police but an investigation is ongoing.

Orville described Justin as funny, polite, kind, and couldn’t understand why anyone would chase his son until he literally collapsed.

The Central Dauphin School District released a statement Monday that, in part, acknowledged the school’s awareness that Johnson may have been a target of racial harassment. In the statement, the District said it was aware of “social media reports that indicated that Justin was subjected to racial insensitivity from classmates.”

The entire statement from the school district can be read below:

Dear CDSD Community,

The Central Dauphin School District is saddened to hear about the passing of Justin Johnson, a 10th grade student at Central Dauphin High School.

We understand that the circumstances around Justin’s death have not been determined, however there are social media reports that indicated that Justin was subjected to racial insensitivity from classmates.

Please understand that this type of behavior is not consistent with our core values and our vision of making sure everyone is valued and connected. Hate speech or any behavior that denigrates another person’s rights will not be tolerated and is not consistent with the mission, vision, and values of CDSD.

We are aware of the social media posts and are cooperating with local law enforcement.

PennLive recently reported on a Black student at Lower Dauphin High School who was subjected to racist bullying for months. His parents, both educated and well-paid professionals, ended up selling their beautiful home and moving to Maryland, where they were able to find a community a bit more enlightened than what they found in Central Pennsylvania. What a shame.