Kentucky lawmaker facing assault allegations commits suicide

MOUNT WASHINGTON, KY -- A Republican lawmaker in Kentucky facing sexual assault allegations has committed suicide.

Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell says Rep. Dan Johnson shot himself Wednesday on a bridge in Mount Washington, Kentucky. Tinnell confirmed the death to WDRB-TV in Louisville.

The 57-year-old Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016. On Monday, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published an account from a woman saying Johnson sexually assaulted her in the basement of his home in 2013. Louisville police investigated the matter but closed the case and did not file charges.

Johnson told reporters Tuesday the accusations were "totally false." He posted a message on Facebook Monday night saying that PTSD was "is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. It has won this life, BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME."