Onondaga County sheriff's office searches for armed and dangerous man

Onondaga County sheriff’s deputies are searching for Nahquaz Johnson, 25, after an InformNNY On the Lookout alert described him as armed and dangerous. The notice identifies Johnson as a Black male, 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

For residents across Syracuse, DeWitt and the rest of Onondaga County, the warning is especially serious because Johnson’s name has already been linked to one of the county’s most troubling deputy-involved shooting cases. In 2017, Syracuse.com reported that a 15-year-old Nahquaz Johnson was accused of opening fire at an undercover Onondaga County sheriff’s deputy near Le Moyne College in DeWitt.

Later coverage said Johnson was sentenced to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison in connection with that case, after he was accused of firing within inches of an undercover deputy. That history gives added weight to the sheriff’s office decision to treat the current search as a public safety concern.

The active alert does not provide the incident date, exact location or the underlying charge that prompted the current search, but the message from law enforcement is clear: Johnson is considered a dangerous person to approach. Anyone who spots him should keep a distance, avoid confrontation and contact police immediately.

The safest option is to call 911 and give dispatchers the location, direction of travel and any vehicle description if one is involved. Do not try to detain him or follow him on your own. In a county where people move daily between Syracuse neighborhoods, DeWitt corridors and the Le Moyne College area, a fast call to police is the most direct way to reduce risk for everyone nearby.