POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida principal has bonded out of jail after he was arrested for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop on the Florida Turnpike.
7News cameras captured Dr. Karlton Odell Johnson as he walked out of the Broward County Jail, Wednesday afternoon. The 58-year-old declined to comment on the charge he is facing.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested Johnson on Tuesday. He is the principal at Cypress Run Education Center in Pompano Beach and served as the principal at Blanche Ely High School, also in Pompano Beach, for 16 years.
Johnson, who was recognized as Principal of the Year in 2016, reportedly told a Florida Highway Patrol officer that he was a deputy with the Broward Sheriff’s Office and even claimed to be the cousin of basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.
According to the arrest report, a trooper observed Johnson’s vehicle with an altered license plate on the Turnpike near Davie and initiated a traffic stop.
During the interaction, Johnson allegedly presented a badge with the word “Honorary” inscribed on it. The report states the trooper “heard the driver state, ‘I am an officer, I am an officer.'”
Johnson further “stated he was a reserve deputy and that he was Shaquille O’Neal’s cousin,” the report states.
It’s unclear whether or not the suspect’s claim about O’Neal is true, but a picture posted on Facebook shows both of them posing for the camera.
The investigation revealed that Johnson was not affiliated with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, and his badge was not official. Johnson was detained and later arrested for falsely impersonating law enforcement, a felony charge.
Johnson is credited with increasing the graduation rate at Blanche Ely High to 90%, turning it into an “A” school. He was also named one of South Florida’s 50 Most Powerful and Influential Leaders in 2024 by Legacy Broward and Palm Beach.
But at leadt one parent at Cypress Run said he’s not surprised.
“When it comes to working with the kids, he don’t know how to talk to the staff, he tried to come up with a lot of things, so I’m not surprised that he’s been arrested for trying to impersonate a police officer,” said the parent.
Johnson’s attorney, Johnny McCray Jr., said this was all a misunderstanding.
“Sometimes people, when they’re in a situation, they do things, but it’s not intended to be criminal or anything that’s improper,” he said. “I think it’s something that will work out favorably.”
A spokesperson for the school district released the following statement:
The employee in question will be reassigned pending the outcome of the law enforcement investigation. In the interim, the Assistant Principal will assume responsibility for the school to ensure continuity of leadership and operations.
Johnson appeared before a judge at around noon where his bond was set at $2,500.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.