KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney has ruled that a County Sheriff’s Department sergeant acted in lawful self defense in the shooting death of a man at a Galesburg gas station in October 2021.
Sgt. Ronald Garrett shot and killed RV Johnson II, who police say was brandishing a knife.
The shooting happened around 2:45 a.m. at the Shell gas station near the intersection of 35th Street and Miller Drive, north of I-94 in Comstock Township.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Johnson walked into the gas station around 2:36 a.m. and told workers he needed to call 911. They dialed and handed Johnson the phone. He asked dispatchers to send someone to the gas station. A sheriff’s sergeant was dispatched for a “suspicious occurrence,” not knowing what the man wanted.
Body camera footage played at the press conference shows that when the sergeant arrived at the gas station, he was approached by Johnson, who was holding a knife. The sergeant can be heard telling Johnson to drop the knife and repeatedly warning him that he would shoot him if he didn’t.
The sergeant also radioed to dispatch calling for backup.
The video shows Johnson did not drop the knife and made several steps forward toward the sergeant with the knife held in front of him threateningly.
The sergeant then opened fire, shooting Johnson once. Johnson fell to the ground and can be heard in the body camera video shouting in pain. He died at the scene.
In a press release Tuesday, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said he personally met with the involved members of the
Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office to discuss his findings, and also spoke with Johnson’s family to inform them of the decision.
According to Getting, “The events of October 4th were incredibly tragic. They forever changed the lives of those personally involved, their families and loved ones, our law enforcement officers, and our community. It is the opinion of the Prosecuting Attorney that Sgt. Ronald Garrett of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office acted in lawful self-defense in his use of deadly force. The actions of Mr. Johnson posed an immediate and extreme threat of death or serious injury to him. His belief that Mr. Johnson posed an immediate threat was both honest and reasonable.”
Michigan State Police conducted the investigation into the shooting.
