Thomas Johnson, 34, was shot by Canandaigua police after he refused to acknowledge officers’ commands to drop his gun, even after being tased for pointing his gun at them, After being tazed, he attempted to flee, pointing his gun at an officer, who shot him.
The incident occurred after police were called to the Sunoco station at 484 Main St.on Monday May 1, at about 1:30 p.m., for a “suspicious individual.” When they got to the service station, they encountered Johnson with what appeared to be a gun. They called to Johnson to show them his hands, but Johnson ignored their commands, and still was pointing the gun at the officers. Finally, they tazed Johnson, but it was ineffective, and Johnson tried to flee while pointing the gun at the officer who shot him. The officers rendered aid at the scene, and found the gun Johnson had was actually an Airsoft gun. Johnson was airlifted to the trauma unit at Strong Memorial Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
Protocol requires any officer shooting to be investigated by the New York State police; the investigation is ongoing. In the meantime, Johnson was charged with second-degree menacing. His court date is set for May 17, 2023.
According to Canandaigua Police Chief Mathew Nielsen, Johnson “ignored the officer’s commands. Officers then discharged their taser….As the subject was attempting to flee the scene, he pointed the firearm at the officers who discharged their firearms striking the subject. “ This is the second officer shooting in Canandaigua within the last few months. In both cases, the police gave several commands for the suspect to put their gun down (as the suspect pointed it at officers in a menacing way) and were shot.
