No Criminal Charges Filed against Arizona DPS Officer Who Fatally Shot Dion Johnson

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced on September 21 that criminal charges will not be filed against the Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper in connection with the shooting death of 28-year-old Dion Johnson on a Phoenix highway on May 25.

Just to recap (based on law enforcement statements) what happened to Johnson:

On May 25, at about 5:36 a.m., a Department of Public Safety Trooper was patrolling the area of the State Route 101 and Tatum Boulevard in Phoenix when he observed a vehicle parked on the eastbound gore point, partially blocking traffic. The trooper observed Johnson passed out in the driver’s seat. According to the initial law enforcement report, during the trooper’s contact with Johnson there was a struggle and the trooper fired his service weapon striking the suspect.

A second DPS trooper arrived on scene and assisted removing Johnson from his vehicle. Phoenix Fire personnel responded and transported Johnson to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased. There were no reported injuries to the DPS troopers involved in this incident.

Neither of the involved DPS motor troopers were equipped with body worn or dash cameras. The Arizona Department of Transportation cameras near the scene that do not record highway activity.

The Maricopa County Attorney relied heavily on the DPS trooper’s story and several witness statements.

This story is still developing.