Dion Johnson’s family calls for federal probe
Motorist was shot fatally by DPS trooper May 25
The family of Dion Johnson, the man killed by Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers May 25, stood beside legislators and activists Friday to call for a larger investigation into Johnson’s death.
On Thursday, the family played audio from a dispatch call of the incident, which authorities said began with troopers finding Johnson asleep in his car, and ended in one trooper firing his weapon. They also described a video, gathered from ADOT live cameras, in which Johnson lay shot, on the ground for several minutes while EMTs were stationed nearby.
The family’s attorney, Joquese Blackwell pointed out “lack of prompt EMT services.”
“We still don’t know exactly when Dion Johnson was shot, so we have a lot of unanswered questions,” he said.
The vehicle was parked on the eastbound “gore point” of Loop 101 at Tatum Boulevard and partially blocking traffic, police spokeswoman Sgt. Maggie Cox said. After some type of struggle, the trooper shot Johnson, police said.
A second trooper responded to the scene and helped remove Johnson from the car, police said. Phoenix Fire Department personnel took Johnson to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Rep. Reginald Bolding was also at the press conference. Earlier in the week, Bolding sent the head of DPS, Col. Heston Silbert, a letter asking for more details about the “struggle” police have referred to and why the DPS troopers were not wearing body-worn cameras. The responding troopers were on motorcycles so no dash cameras were recording.
Bolding went on to question how the Phoenix Police Department could be unbiased and thorough in the investigation given the number of police shootings the agency has been involved in. He also referenced a letter that requests the
U.S. Department of Justice get involved in the investigation.
“It is our hope that through concurrent investigations, all facts will come out, justice will truly be served,” Bolding said. “Because as of right now, there’s only one account of what happened that morning.”
Johnson’s mother, Erma Johnson, also spoke at the news conference and said she hasn’t been able to sleep or eat much since her son was killed.
“As the days go on it hurts worse and worse,” she said, adding that she “doesn’t even know what kind of world we’re living in anymore.”
Erma Johnson, along with Dion Johnson’s sister, decried how Dion is being portrayed in the narrative of the incident offered by Phoenix police.
“Don’t listen to what they’re making my son out to be, because those stories aren’t true,” Erma Johnson said.
At one point, Johnson said she would like her son’s case to be investigated by the FBI.
Everyone who spoke demanded Phoenix police and DPS be more forthcoming with information about the shooting. The pushed for the name of the trooper who fatally shot Johnson to be released.
“It’s not right they can ridicule Dion Johnson’s name but we don’t know anything about the officer,” Blackwell said.
He noted that neither his office nor the Johnson family have been contacted by Phoenix police, DPS or any other agency involved in the investigation.
The Arizona Republic has filed a request with DPS for the incident report, 911 calls and other sources of public information.
“It is our hope that through concurrent investigations, all facts will come out, justice will truly be served. Because as of right now, there’s only one account of what happened that morning.”
Reginald Bolding Arizona legislator