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The below video is graphic, and viewer discretion is advised.
What Happened
In the video below, a man named Kristopher Juniel films a retreating man named Luis Antonio Johnson while screaming a racial slur. This incident occurred on May 3 of this year. It happened near the famed near Denver’s 16th Street Mall.
Johnson is a well-known YouTuber and seems genuinely unnerved, as he holds on to what appears to be a firearm in the video. He backs away and eventually runs from Juniel. The situation only escalates.
Juniel continues following Johnson and filming. Someone in the background can be heard saying, “Walk away.” But Juniel doesn’t. He does the opposite and approaches the man aggressively. He demands Johnson’s name and taunts him for pulling a gun and not “blowing it.” The video gets wilder.
When Johnson asks Juniel to walk away and refuses to use the gun, Juniel demands he uses it. In the last moments of screaming for the man to shoot, Johnson does in fear of his life. But the situation only devolves into more violence.
Officers Conor Miller and Andrew Ulum arrive at the scene, and bodycam footage shows them chasing Johnson into a building. Once inside, they scream for him to drop a gun they alleged he had. It seems the man fell and maybe tried to comply. In the chaos of the moment, the officers let off roughly nine shots. It wasn’t good.
Johnson suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital, as was Juniel. Both survived. Juniel was shot once in the ribs, while Johnson was shot in the stomach and extremities.
The Outcome
Johnson was formally placed under arrest at Denver Health Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. By May 11, he was moved to jail and charged with a slew of offenses, including Attempted First-Degree Murder. But prosecutors eventually reviewed the video footage and had a change of heart concerning the felony charges.
The Takeaway
Upon review, the charges were “downfiled,” reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. Johnson is currently out on bond and still in recovery, having undergone surgeries and rehabilitation. You can view footage of both shootings below.
No charges were filed against Juniel.
Jermaine Reed, MFA is an educator and the Editor-in-Chief of TheReedersBlock. Take time to Subscribe. It helps promote independent journalism and the site. Follow him on TikTok, where he has over 9 million views and nearly 1 million likes. Help him get there. Email editor@thereedersblock.com with any questions.
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