Tense Police Town Hall Follows Release of Bodycam Footage from Wells Ave Police Killing

Michael J. Johnson, 27, was on the Wells Avenue bridge on the afternoon of February 3rd, sitting and walking, where pedestrians aren’t allowed, as traffic was whizzing by.

He had a chain in his pocket. Many people who live on the streets carry a whip, knife and/or chains to feel safer as life without stable shelter can be quite precarious for many different reasons.

Shortly after, he was blasted away after being encircled by police walking towards him from several directions, with guns out, pointed at him.

At that point, the bridge was entirely closed to traffic and he seemed to be walking toward the bottom of the bridge. He seemed not to want to deal with police.

Officers seemed impatient with him, pressing him repeatedly, asking him about his pocket knife, calling him “dude,” lacking respect in their tone. More and more officers started talking to him. The available body cam footage is all chopped up, but that's the sense from what was released.

Then, with the officers closing in on him, he had one lunging body motion, seemingly feeling trapped, which got police officers into trigger mode, and then he ran towards one armed officer with the chain above his head. He was killed on the spot with multiple rounds fired right into his body.

In a tense town hall meeting which took place last night, Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance had excuses and dodged questions under the cover of the ongoing Washoe County Sheriff's Office investigation not even addressing what was there for all to see in the released body cam footage.

“I’m confused about whether or not you’ve celebrated Black History Month in any other way than killing a Black man," advocate for the unhoused Lily Baran asked pointedly.

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