A police officer in Kalamazoo County who shot and killed a knife-wielding suspect in a gas station parking lot has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a standard post-shooting investigation, as officials say he acted lawfully in self-defense.
“The events of Oct. 4 were incredibly tragic,” Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting reportedly said Tuesday. “They forever changed the lives of those personally involved, their families and loved ones, our law enforcement officers, and our community.”
Early that morning, Sgt. Ronald Garrett of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call from a gas station in Galesburg. That call was placed by a clerk in the gas station at the request of a man called R.V. Johnson II. Johnson also reportedly spoke to the dispatcher on the phone.
Just before 3 a.m., Garrett arrived on the scene and was met by Johnson, who was wielding a knife.
Standing at a distance of about 15 feet away from the officer, Johnson can be seen lunging towards Garrett multiple times, according to Garrett’s body camera footage.
Garrett called for backup twice during the interaction, which lasted for only about a minute.
“Don’t do it,” Garrett said multiple times as Johnson moves forward with the knife.
He repeatedly warned Johnson that if Johnson does not drop the knife, he will be shot.
While Johnson kept advancing, Garrett fired one shot, killing Johnson.
“Prior to the release of the prosecutor’s decision, [Prosecutor] Getting personally met with the involved members of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office to discuss his findings,” Michigan Live reported. “He also spoke with Mr. Johnson’s family to inform them of the decision, the prosecutor’s office said.”
Following the standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting, Garrett was placed on administrative leave while the Michigan State Police investigated the incident, and reported their findings to Getting’s office.
Garrett is a 20-year veteran of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department. It is unknown whether he has been cleared to return to work.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Michigan Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Police Tape” by Tony Webster. CC BY-SA 4.0.
