St. Paul police release bodycam video of officer fatally shooting suspect on East Side

Saint Paul police have released body-cam video of an officer fatally shooting 24-year-old Howard Johnson Monday night on the city’s East Side. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says stills show Johnson pointing a gun and a muzzle flash.  Here is the audio. It is graphic:

The officer radios that Johnson has “the gun in his right hand, he’s pointing it at a car, he’s trying to carjack right now.”  The officer accelerated the squad and the B-C-A says at that point he struck Johnson with the vehicle.  The video shows the officer flinging open the door and yelling “Don’t do it!” before at least 10 gunshots can be heard.  Johnson then dropped to the ground with what appears to be a gun at his side.

Investigators say police had formed a perimeter after a report of a domestic assault by an armed man.  They say a woman left a business, got into her car, and told officers as she started to pull away, Johnson pointed a gun at her.  Video shows a squad car striking Johnson and pushing him to the ground.  Johnson then gets up, and that exchange of gunfire followed.  The video has been released the day after Johnson’s family members demanded access to the footage.