Rally calls for more transparency in St. Paul police shooting investigation
Family members of the man shot and killed by St. Paul police joined other community members at a Saturday rally in calling for more transparency in the investigation.
24-year-old Howard Peter Johnson was shot by a St. Paul officer Monday evening in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood, after officers responded to reports of a domestic assault, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
In body camera footage released on Thursday, an officer said Johnson had a gun in his right hand and was carjacking someone, though that part is not visible from the video. The video then showed Sgt. Cody Blanshan firing multiple times at Johnson who later died at the hospital.
Johnson’s family was able to view the edited body camera video before it was released to the public. They said Saturday outside the Wilder Recreation Center that it does not provide a full picture of what happened. Johnson’s mother said she wanted to know more about the alleged carjacking and the moments after he may have been struck by a police vehicle.
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“He was protecting himself. He was scared. And then he said 'don't do it,’” Monique Johnson said. “So I want all the footage. I want to know what happened from the beginning to the end. I want to know what happened to my son and I'm going to fight until I know.”
On Thursday, Chief Axel Henry declined to say whether he thought the video shows Johnson shooting at officers.
“As someone who's not investigating, I know what you're speaking of. I think it's important that I don't step in and start making comments like that,” Axtell told reporters. “But I think the video speaks for itself, but I certainly haven't done a forensic exam of any of it, and I don’t want to make judgements about a case that I'm not personally involved with.”
He said video from Blanshan’s partner would be released eventually but doesn't show anything more substantial than what was made public.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting and said last week that it will release video "once the case is closed and fully adjudicated."
Blanshan is on administrative leave while the investigation is underway.