SPOKANE, Wash. – Recent court documents detail the harassment and stalking that former Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward endured during her time in office.
The stalking and threats were a prolonged event throughout her term as mayor by 45-year-old Chesed B. Johnson.
Johnson initiated the harassment by filing grievances with the Spokane Police Department, and it quickly escalated from there.
According to court documents and our partner, the Spokesman Review, Johnson would send threatening emails claiming he was outside Woodward’s home and intending to kidnap her.
He also made various other claims, stating that he would “make her pay” or was going to “disparage” her. Johnson even contemplated going after Woodward’s family and friends, seeking them out and threatening to destroy her husband’s business.
Johnson was convicted on harassment charges in 2022 and was required to undergo mental health therapy.
He was placed on probation and issued a no-contact order, which he violated in November when he approached Woodward at a Christmas tree lighting and said, “I’m going to make you listen to me.”
When police attempted to arrest him for violating his release conditions, he slammed the door and refused to come out. After several hours, he was apprehended and taken into custody.
Johnson has a history and record of threatening behavior with law enforcement and other agencies, including threats of a mass shooting in 2019.
He recently pleaded guilty to felony harassment charges and was sentenced to 131 days in jail, with his bond set at $210,000.
