MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL – A confrontation over a parking space outside a Target store escalated into a reported gun threat this week, leaving one driver calling 911 and another facing a felony charge, according to police and court records.
Kiara S. Johnson, 42, was taken into custody and charged with one count of aggravated assault with a firearm following the incident at a store in the 21000 block of Biscayne Boulevard. Officers were dispatched around 1:55 p.m. after receiving reports of a dispute involving a weapon.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Miami-Dade Police Department, the victim told officers she was sitting in her parked vehicle when Johnson pulled into the adjacent space. The victim said she moved her car slightly to avoid potential contact from a door, a decision that allegedly triggered the confrontation.
Dispute escalates in parking lot
The victim told police the situation intensified quickly, with Johnson allegedly “cursing at her” and “calling her obscenities” during the exchange. During the argument, Johnson reportedly reached into her purse, displayed a firearm, and said, “I got that s— on me,” while ordering the victim to “get out of the car.”
Fearing for her safety, the victim refused and instead drove away before contacting 911. She later described the weapon to officers as black with either yellow or orange markings.
Police said responding officers were still speaking with the victim when Johnson exited the store and was identified at the scene. As she was detained, Johnson “freely and willingly admitted” to having a firearm inside her purse, which remained on her shoulder. Officers recovered the weapon and secured it.
Conflicting accounts and arrest
After being read her Miranda rights, Johnson agreed to speak with investigators and acknowledged that “both parties had gotten into an argument over the close parking.” She told officers the victim had threatened to slap her, though she said the victim never exited the vehicle. The victim denied making any threats.
Johnson denied displaying the firearm or issuing threats, telling police she “never pulled it out.” When asked how the victim described the weapon, Johnson said she did not know if it had been seen inside her purse.
A records check found no listed registration for the firearm, which was confiscated and impounded. Johnson was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where she remained as of Thursday evening on a $5,500 bond. Court scheduling information was not immediately available.
