Death of Dion Johnson

According to the Phoenix Police account, a trooper was patrolling when he discovered Johnson's vehicle parked at the triangle piece of land between the freeway and on/off ramp, near Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard. The trooper approached the vehicle and found Johnson asleep at the drivers seat, with cans of beer and a gun in the car, after removing the gun the trooper attempted to arrest Johnson. An altercation occurred when Johnson woke up and grabbed at the officer, the officer drew his weapon to have Johnson comply with instructions but fired at Johnson after he apparently lunged for the weapon. Police stated there is no body camera or car camera footage; there were no other witnesses.[2]

Phoenix Police officials have placed the trooper who shot Johnson on paid administrative leave. The department also stated there is no dashcam video as both troopers involved were motorcycle officers and were not equipped with body cameras.[2] However, video footage was later released from a live-feed Arizona Department of Transportation camera that was recorded by a local news station after the altercation took place.[3]

The Arizona Department of Public Safety erected fencing around its headquarters in Phoenix in late May 2020 in order to stop a vigil for Johnson on the grounds. The fencing has since been turned into a community mural of posters, cardboard and paper signs that were fixed to the fencing with string and tape.[4]

Johnson's death was protested by Black Lives Matter protestors along with the death of George Floyd. On June 7, protestors had held 11 days of daily marches in Phoenix to demand change and chanted for six minutes straight to highlight the apparent time that medical aid was withheld from Johnson even with an ambulance stationed a few hundred feet away.[4]

The family of Johnson and their attorney Jocquese Blackwell, have questioned how a man that was sleeping in his vehicle and disarmed could end up dead, emphasizing the lack of body camera, police camera, or other witnesses to corroborate the sole police account of the incident.[2]

Arizona State Representative Reginald Bolding, has demanded more transparency in the case and sent a letter to the public safety department.[2] He later issued a statement to the US Department of Justice to take over the investigation, that was cosigned by Representative Doctor Geraldine Peten and Arizona Commissioner Sandra Kennedy.[5]