MADISON (WITI) -- The Dane County District Attorney's Office concluded on Friday, May 30th that there is no potential criminal court liability for the Madison Police Department (MAPD) officers involved in the May 2nd shooting of Londrell Johnson.
“The officers were responding to a call of a man with multiple stab wounds, who stated his neighbor had kicked in the apartment door and stabbed his whole family. Officers entered the building and encountered the suspect in apartment #2. He was holding a large knife and advanced on the officers despite verbal commands from officers,” said Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne. “Responding to that threat with deadly force is permitted under the law.”
On May 2nd just before 12:50 p.m., MAPD officers were dispatched to the corner of Milwaukee Street and East Washington Avenue in Milwaukee.
The first officer on the scene rendered aid to a man who was bleeding from multiple stab wounds to his back and arm. The next two officers who arrived were informed the suspect was inside and was attacking the man’s family.
The officers went around to the back of the building. As they approached the rear door at the top of a metal fire escape, they heard a male voice and a loud “crashing” sound.
Officers announced their presence as they entered the common hallway. One officer was aware Johnson was a resident in apartment #3 and liked to be called “J.” That officer called out to see if he was there, with no response from Johnson.
The officers saw damage to the doors of apartment #1 and #2 and entered apartment
#2. They encountered Johnson in the living room, wielding a knife.
The officers identified themselves and ordered Johnson to drop the knife. Johnson made a “grunt” or “exhale” sound as he moved towards them with the knife in his hand.
The first officer began to fire while moving into the bathroom.
Authorities say Johnson continued towards that officer as the second officer began to fire as well.
Johnson dropped to his knees as he entered the bathroom, stopping with his legs in the doorway and his upper body in the bathroom, the knife still in his hand, according to officials.
Paramedics transported Johnson to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The officers found two female victims in apartment #1. Both had been stabbed
numerous times.
One woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other woman died later at the hospital.
A four-year-old child was found in the bedroom, who had been taking a nap when the stabbings started.
According to press release, relevant evidence includes statements of the victim, eyewitnesses including officers, physical evidence found and obtained from the scene and the autopsy, along with audio from an open 911 line, all of which are consistent with each other.
Under Wisconsin law, which applies equally to members of law enforcement and to
those who are not, any person may use deadly force to respond to a genuine fear of
deadly force to that person or any other person. In this case, the officers were
compelled to use deadly force when faced with an advancing suspect wielding a knife
and not responding to commands.