A Philly “Feel Good” Story?
By Wyatt Earp | September 23, 2010
Sometimes you have to wonder if the Philly media is smoking crack. In their skewed world, police officers and firemen are despicable people, but a thug who stole items from a police station – including a patrol car – is a local hero.
Meet Christopher Reddick-Johnson, the Philly media’s new favorite son.
Five years ago, Christopher Reddick-Johnson was a Southwest Philly teen who dreamed of becoming a cop. Then-Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson was his mentor. It was a good situation, until Reddick-Johnson started making headlines. Turned out he thought he was a cop; his friends had seen him joy-riding in an unmarked police car, and he was eventually arrested for stealing a police radio, handcuffs and other items from a district headquarters.
When it looked like things couldn’t get any worse, Reddick-Johnson was shot in the thigh in 2006 in front of a takeout shop by a street thug for reasons that were unclear. His life, it seemed, was circling the drain.
Well, take a look at Christopher Reddick-Johnson now. The 22-year-old said he moved to Los Angeles after his string of high-profile missteps in Philly and reinvented himself as an actor. He landed several roles – albeit minor ones – on shows that included “Hannah Montana” and “Numbers.
Congratulations, Chris! With Lindsay Lohan on the sidelines, Hollywood needs another felon! I await the dedication of your statue in front of City Hall. Jackass.
UPDATE: Reddick-Johnson submitted a classy comment, guaranteed to make his family and his fans proud:
Wyatt Earp shut ya bitch ass up!!! Blog that !!! I’m making money in Hollywood while your nut ass is making me famous by posting stupid shit like this !!!!
He wrote this comment on Christmas Day. Stay classy, Reddick, and try not to steal anything from the set.
Topics: Philly, The Job | 26 Comments »
September 23rd, 2010 at 8:29 am
It isn’t like Hollyweird is short of nice looking assholes to popularize. That said, I do hope he did turn his life around and becomes a decent person. Not many folks that I know of have never made mistakes or used bad judgement. Last one I heard of was nailed to a cross.
September 23rd, 2010 at 9:22 am
Amen Robert B. he’s still basically a kid. The two kids who burgalized my home last year and both got 4 years, showed me how incredibly dumb kids are. After bending over backwards to give them a chance to do the right thing before they had to really pay the piper and getting slapped in the face by their arrogance, I am glad the kid above saw the light at least. Heads did turn in court when I laughed outloud when the judge gave em 4 though, twas a good day.
September 23rd, 2010 at 9:56 am
…Always a good day when justice is SERVED, rather than DEFERRED…
Stay safe.
September 23rd, 2010 at 10:01 am
First, real men don’t have hypenated names.
Had a role on Hannah Montana? Okay another reason to stop my 5 year old from watching that show. The other one was because of Miley Cyrus’s lap and pole dancing she seems to frequently exhibit.
Have fun in Hollyweird dude and live it up there are plenty of drugs, degradation and twisted morals in the land of Sodom and Gemorrah.
September 23rd, 2010 at 10:15 am
Oh, gee, thanks! Send your felons to California! As if we didn’t have enough of them here already!
September 23rd, 2010 at 11:24 am
Only Hollywood would take this vermin under their wing,
like they don’t have enough thugs-turned-showpeople already.
September 23rd, 2010 at 11:50 am
Robert B – Hopefully, his worst mistake out there will be banging Lindsay Lohan.
Jon – In Philly, they would have received probation.
Bob G – He pretty much walked on the theft charges, so I wouldn’t say justice was served, but maybe the tool was scared straight. Maybe.
Ferrell – I figured Hollywood would be the perfect place for this toad.
Proof – Enjoy! Heh.
Mrs. Crankipants – Maybe Kanye West can take him under his wing?
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Very interesting everything! Before you comment Did anyone bother to google Christopher. The first thing you is comment based on One Article. Educated people tend to seek information for there own knowledge rather than trust information that is presented.
I can say this, we All have made mistakes, some of us continue to make mistakes. Every day we grow stronger, or we choose to grow weaker. What have you done or haven’t done?
This young man is 22, and has a very interesting life @ this time.
Maybe you Commenters should research before you choose to post based on one persons Blog!
I’m Proud of you Christopher !
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Educated Diva – I googled Christopher Reddick-Johnson. The only entries were his IMDb bio, the Philly.com article, and my post. The comments were generated from the article at Philly.com, not necessarily from my take on it. Nice try, though.
Oh, and a word of advice. Before you take the moniker “Educated Diva,” spell-check your comment before sending it. Thanks for playing.
September 23rd, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Wyatt Earp, get a life because it seems like you are a total loser.
September 23rd, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Icehouse – And yet, I never stole a gun holster, a police jacket, a police radio, handcuffs, a baton and keys to a police car from my co-workers. I also never took a patrol car for a joyride and didn’t run to the police commissioner to get me out of the jam. Fancy that, huh?
September 23rd, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Okay, so what is your point. Look at how many police officers around the world do corrupt things. Especially in a place like Philadelphia. Therefore, to judge a kid who had someone like a police chief behind him is insane. Doing my own research on this kid, you should be thinking about all the power the police department allowed a 17 year old teenager to have. The kid is 22 years old now, and is into a whole different life. 17 and 22 is a big difference. Bottom line is, who are you to judge someone, what is going on in your jacked up life that we should know about.
September 23rd, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Icehouse – My point is that you said I need to get a life and am a total loser. And you know this after reading one post on a blog. I replied that I never did any of the things this pillar of the community did, but somehow he gets a free pass from you. Intersting.
When you Google this kid, one of the first stories that comes up if the one above, detailing his past crimes. So he’s trying to be a better person. Grand. Let’s wait until he actually does something noteworthy until we have a parade in his honor. How about that?
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Ok, I understand where you are coming from, but you did not answer my question. Who are you to judge a person from something they did when they were a kid? … You need to look in the mirror at yourself. I just feel like there is some type of jealousy here. A 22 year old kid, who has made his way into the Hollywood show business, but a jerk like Wyatt Earp sits on blogs and talk bad about him based on crimes he committed when he was 17. Dude, get real. You seem like an old man who sit at home with no life. If you are a Police Officer, you cant talk about anyone as most of you live the most jacked up lives in the world. I am done wasting my time with morons who judge kids. Your focus should be on Sylvester Johnson who allowed a kid to do anything he wanted and get away with it .. JERK!!
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Icehouse – Wow, that was a concise, informed, very well-reasoned argument. Did your mommy help you write it?
Who am I to judge a person? Dude, you judged me after reading one post, and you judged all police officers in your last comment. Hypocritical much?
I love the fact that in your world the kid is blameless. He stole the items from the police station and took a patrol car for a joyride. But hey, it’s not his fault; the police commissioner is to blame! I guess when his acting gig fails, that won’t be his fault, either? Thanks for playing.
As for you deciding to not waste your time here anymore? You will be missed.
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Lets get one thing clear, I am not saying that the kid is blameless, but I am saying that kids do stupid things. Yes Yes and Yes. However, it is clear that this kid has stopped doing stupid things and have been out of trouble since 17 “Five years ago” at least that is what the article says. My issue with you is the fact that you are judging someone, like you are GOD or something. Even now, saying that his acting gigs will fail. How about as an human being, you hope for the best for a kid who once lived a troubled life. Sitting on blogs, and posting negative things about a kid is not the correct thing to do. If you don’t understand that, then I don’t know what to say. I watched the kid on the CBS show “The Defenders” and I think he did a great job. As a black man 45 years of age, and full of wisdom, I am confident that he will be successful in his career in the film industry and I think you are jealous!! Take it however you want it!! Doggie style if you like!!
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Where have I heard this story before?
oh, right..
Maybe he can be the Fresh Prince of Compton. heh.
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Smite – So, that’s why Icehouse is such a fan!
Icehouse – Wow, right to the insults, huh? Taking the low road won’t win you the argument here, which is a shame because I think your “jealousy” angle is spot-on. Bawahahahahahahahaha!
What happened with you not wasting your time here anymore? Don’t you have important things to do, like write “I (Heart) Christopher” on your school copybook?
Thanks for playing.
September 23rd, 2010 at 6:50 pm
@ Smite, Funny
. … @ Wyatt Earp, let me just say that I did not mean to insult you, but I just hate for a person to judge someone, especially a young kid who is trying. I live in Chicago, and I see so many kids get killed, and into drugs, and things like that. They never learn, and when I see a young kid like this, I think that this is an amazing story, and I don’t know this young man, but I am proud of him. Your issues with this kid appears to be deeper, and more to the story. I have nothing to do with that, however like saying goes “Before you judge a person, look in the mirror”. You will not have the last word, so If I was you, I would just give it up.
September 23rd, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Icehouse – My blog. I guarantee I get the last word. Thanks for playing.
September 23rd, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Icehouse seems to be a little unclear on the concept.
You’ve heard of people with a “room temperature IQ”? Now just think if that room were an icehouse!
Heh.
September 23rd, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Proof – I would have gone back and forth with him forever – because I am that stubborn and persistent. I think some of the readers enjoyed the battle, too. Unfortunately, he started with the vulgarity again, so I cut him off. I still have the comments, and may post them during a “Best Of” segment later.
But dude, you are never gonna outlast me in the comments.
September 24th, 2010 at 9:20 am
I think you both are right, there is no right or wrong in a situation like this because he is now a grown man, but he is still wrong for what he did as a juvenile.
October 12th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Its amazing how quick people are to judge a book by its cover but probably cant even read the words that are inside. Unlike most if not all of you I know Chris personally and hey all kids do stupid shit, you live and you learn and that is what makes you a better adult in life. How many of you know what your kids are doing every second they are out of your sight??? Hmm….. How many 22 year olds from his background do you know who have traveled most of the world and is an up and coming successful hollywood actor??? Exactly….So call him what you may (felon, vermin, criminal) whatever…Chris is a beacon for other young Philly youth to say “hey i can be something in life”. Keep up the good work CHRIS!! and as we say in PHILLY (F**K the haters!)
October 12th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Collegegirl – Exactly my point. Let’s not canonize him because he got a part-time job in Tinseltown.
Rob – Let’s not give him the Oscar yet, okay? The kid has had a few bit parts in some TV shows. Maybe that exonerates his rap sheet in your mind, but when he betrays the trust of his mentor by stealing from said mentor’s employees, it says a lot about his character – or lack thereof.
Look at the bright side, in Hollywood, he is surrounded by criminals now.
October 16th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Wyatt – Nobody said anything about an Oscar. Im simply giving credit where credit is due. I dont condone his past behavior either and of course what he did was wrong. But like i said i also realize that kids do stupid shit. He learned from those mistakes so you cant judge his character by the past or what you’ve heard in the news.