Man arrested after allegedly threatening people inside home with knife and spraying police K9 with cleaning fluid

IDAHO FALLS – A local man is behind bars after reportedly entering a home, threatening the people inside with a knife and spraying a police K9 with 409 cleaning spray.

Steven Douglas Johns, 39, was charged was two counts of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of misdemeanor resisting and obstructing arrest, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor unlawful entry, and misdemeanor malicious injury to property.

Johns entered a home on the 300 block of Linden Drive on Wednesday without permission, police said.

Officers were called to the home after reports that Johns was brandishing a knife toward people inside the house.

According to court documents, Johns entered with a pocketknife in his left hand and a beer in his right. He allegedly waved the open knife toward the victims and yelled about the house being his property.

A news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department states that Johns does not own the property.

One of the victims reportedly barricaded themselves in another room, while the other victim ran outside to get away from Johns “in fear that he might harm them with the knife,” according to court documents.

According to the news release, when officers arrived, Johns had already left the home and had gone into his own home nearby. In the process, he kicked and broke a gate on the property that wasn’t his.

Officers knocked on Johns’ front door, announced they were police, and that Johns needed to come outside and was under arrest. Johns reportedly indicated that he had heard the commands but did not come outside.

Shortly after, officers saw that Johns had opened the backdoor and was going into his backyard. Officers followed and tried to talk with him there, but he refused to comply.

According to the news release, officers eventually deployed an IFPD K9 officer to try to apprehend Johns. He retreated and shut himself inside the home with the dog.

While the K9 was inside, Johns allegedly sprayed the dog with 409, a chemical cleaner.

Officers broke the glass sliding door to get to the K9 and Johns. They retrieved the K9, but Johns resisted officers, who had to back off due to safety concerns.

Officers continued to try to speak to Johns from outside the home. Eventually, they attempted to use 40mm less lethal munitions (commonly called “smurf rounds”) to incapacitate Johns long enough for officers to detain him as he periodically came back into view, according to the news release.

Despite striking Johns multiple times, officers could not safely detain him. Police attempted to use a Taser on Johns, but the first two attempts did not connect.

Finally, an officer was able to effectively deploy a Taser, which incapacitated Johns long enough for him to be detained. He was then taken to the Bonneville County Jail and booked. His bond was set to $30,000, and a no-contact order was issued for the victims.

Inside the residence, officers reportedly found the knife and drug paraphernalia.

Idaho Falls Police also used an unmanned aerial systems (drone) unit to watch the property and Johns’ movements from above.

The K9 had to be decontaminated and experienced significant irritation but is not expected to experience any long-term issues as a result, according to the news release.

Johns is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 26. If convicted, he could face up to 33 and a half years in prison.

Though Johns has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.