Did Shaun have a history of domestic violence?

Shaun Johnson, 35, was shot and killed by a Kearny police officer late on May 8, 2015, outside a home in the 59700 block of East Bidegain Place in Kearny, Arizona. Officers had been called that night after Johnson’s wife reported he had returned to the residence and yelling could be heard on her 11:03 p.m. call. Officers had earlier encountered Johnson following a disturbance at a local bar.

When police found Johnson’s wife walking with her children, they approached the house and say Johnson emerged carrying and swinging a samurai sword. Authorities report he did not drop the weapon and moved behind the residence, then waited with the sword raised in a striking position as officers rounded a corner. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said the officer who fired was about six to eight feet away, believed he was in immediate danger, and discharged his handgun four times, striking Johnson in the chest; Johnson died at the scene. Public databases classify the incident as an attack involving a sword.

Because a Kearny officer fired the fatal shots, the Kearny Police Department asked the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau to investigate. The available reports do not identify the officer by name and do not document any arrest or criminal charges arising from Johnson’s death. Anyone who knew Shaun or witnessed the events that night is asked to share information.