MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The playground’s supposed to be a place where children can play, but police said that all changed at Charjean Park on Ketchum Road on Tuesday.
“I got a 1-year-old, a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old, and 8 and 11,” Heather Aquino said. “Then I’ve got a 1-month old.”
Aquino said she takes her large family to the park in South Memphis almost every day and said it was hard to imagine that police arrested Douglas Johnson for threatening kids with a weapon.
“It is. It’s crazy. It is,” Aquino said.
According to police, Johnson took a machete and started swinging it at little children.
“Oh my God,” Aquino said. “I mean this is terrible. It’s terrible because the kids are out here. They’re not safe no more.”
Police arrested Johnson on Tuesday and found a machete lying in the park.
Officers claimed Johnson admitted to the blade chase but did not say why he did it.
“I’m shocked to hear it,” Phillip Bougard, who lived next door to Johnson, said.
WREG tried speaking to Johnson’s family, but they refused to tell their side of the story.
“I ain’t never known him to be in no trouble. He always have been a good young man,” Bougard explained.
“My kids — They’re not going to be safe here at this park no more,” Aquino said.
Johnson’s bail was set at $30,000.
He’s scheduled to be in court Thursday morning.