Police released body camera footage Thursday from the sergeant who shot a 24-year-old man on Monday in St. Paul.
Howard Johnson died on the hospital Monday, and his family and community members have been calling on police and the mayor to instantly make videos public.
The police department said in an announcement that the body camera shows an exchange of gunfire between Sgt. Cody Blanshan and Johnson. Blanshan was not injured. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the agency investigating, said their agents are still reviewing footage regarding who fired first.
Johnson’s mother, Monique Johnson, said Thursday they weren’t satisfied with the videos they’d been shown.
“The videos that we’ve seen don’t tell the entire story,” she told KMSP-TV outside police headquarters. “There’s no way that it tells the entire story.”
Kenneth Manning, Howard Johnson’s stepfather, said they appreciate what police made public, “but we still want all of the knowledge that’s available, we wish all the footage.”
Police Chief Axel Henry said in an announcement Thursday: “Any lack of life is tragic, and we’re keeping the family and friends of Mr. Johnson in our thoughts as they grieve the lack of their loved one. We all know there aren’t words to alleviate their pain, but we hope the discharge of those videos will help begin to reply a few of their questions. We extend the identical concern to our community members, including our officers, who’re also deeply affected by the events that unfolded Monday evening.”
Police: Gun visible in footage
Emergency radio transmissions indicate a girl called police Monday to report a person had just hit her. She said the person was Johnson, that he had a warrant and had a firearm with him.
Johnson’s warrant was issued in September for not appearing at a hearing in a felony domestic assault case he was charged in, in accordance with court records.
Police responded to Earl Street and Hudson Road within the Dayton’s Bluff area just after 6 p.m. Monday in regards to the reported domestic assault. Officers arrange a fringe in the world.
“Meanwhile, a girl at a business on Hudson Road left the business and got into her automobile,” in accordance with a Wednesday statement from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the agency investigating. She was not the lady who was the victim of the alleged domestic assault. “She told BCA agents that as she began to drag away, Johnson approached her vehicle and was pointing a gun at her.”
Police previously said that after they saw Johnson appear to try a carjacking, officers drove as much as him.
Surveillance video shows Blanshan, who was driving a squad, struck Johnson within the back and side, which knocked him to the bottom, in accordance with the BCA. Johnson got up and that’s when video appeared to point out an exchange of gunfire between him and Blanshan. Johnson was shot, fell to the bottom and dropped his gun, the BCA said.
The BCA found a .45-caliber pistol on the scene, together with three .45-caliber bullet casings. In addition they found 10 cartridge casings that were 9mm, which matches the department-issued handgun that Blanshan fired.
The police department said Johnson’s dropped gun is visible in one in every of the videos released Thursday.
The BCA has received statements from Blanshan and one other officer who was within the squad automobile that struck Johnson.
Johnson’s family said he was a father of 4-year-old twin boys.
Johnson’s 27-year-old brother, Keith Johnson, said Wednesday that Howard was “a people person. He could put a smile on anybody.
“He deserves more. … We would like answers,” he said.