Breakdown of Lawton officer-involved shooting video
LAWTON, Okla. (TNN) - The Comanche County District Attorney has ruled the officer-involved shooting of Zontarious Johnson was justified and Monday, the body camera footage from the shooting was released.
Johnson was shot and killed by an officer in the early morning hours of January 17th after shots were fired at the Lavish Lounge at 11th and Lee.
Around 3:30 a.m., police officers arrived at the Lavish Lounge to do a compliance check. Police went into the building when gunshots were heard outside.
“Shots fire outside. Shots fired, where’s he at, him right there, Lawton police, stop. Black male, gray shirt, black pants, running East,” said Officer Nathan Ronan in the body camera video.
Body cameras indicate at least 10 shots were fired outside the building.
“You better stop. You better stop or you’re going to get shot,” Ronan said.
Officer Ronan reports he saw a man, later identified as Johnson, standing in the street with his arm extended, heard gunshots and saw another man near a white SUV shooting back at Johnson. Ronan began chasing after Johnson and followed him into an alley, where he says Johnson “raised and produced the barrel of a weapon.”
In total, you can hear seven shots being fired by Ronan. Johnson was struck twice in the chest and once in the foot. The officer continued giving instructions to Johnson
“Roll to your right. Get away from your gun. Roll to your right,” Ronan said.
The OSBI says the gun was determined to be a Taurus 9mm with an empty twelve-round magazine. They said the slide was in a locked back position. The gun was determined to have Johnson’s fingerprints on it and 7 bullet cartridges determined to have come from that gun were found outside the Lavish Lounge.
40 seconds after the initial shot was fired, officers placed Johnson in handcuffs and called for an ambulance
“Get medical started, have them stand by. Let’s get him in custody and do first aid,” Ronan said.
Officers continued trying to secure the scene. Three minutes and 40 seconds after the initial shot was fired, officers are heard asking for an ETA for the ambulance. Officer Ronan is then heard explaining the situation to other officers.
“Hinkle yelled shots fired so I come outside this guy that just got shot here was shooting back and forth with the guy in the white SUV, 6th and I, they were shooting back and forth,” Officer Ronan said.
Eight minutes after the shooting, a dispatcher is heard asking if the ambulance can approach. Nine minutes and 10 seconds after the shooting, officers again call for an ambulance
“10th street between Park and Summit, we need EMS. Still standing by for them,” an officer said.
Nine minutes and 50 seconds after the shooting, a fire truck first shows up on the scene. Johnson was then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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