Chief pleads for calm after shooting

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) -  Police Chief Tony Kleibecker is asking the community to be calm after a police officer fatally shot a 23-year-old man who fled from a traffic stop.

Julius Ray Johnson died after he was shot once by a Muskegon officer in an alleyway off of Terrace, south of Hackley, early Wednesday morning.

A number of witnesses have come forward claiming Johnson did not need to die.

Around 1:30 a.m. a Muskegon police officer made a traffic stop near Terrace and Laketon. Johnson, a passenger, allegedly ran from the car.

An officer backing up the traffic stop chased Johnson into an alleyway near the backyard of Johnson's home.

There was a fight, and the officer received what police said was a serious head injury.

According to court records, Johnson has three felonies. He was recently paroled after serving time for assaulting, resisting and obstructing a police officer.

He was shot once and died at the hospital a short time later.

But Johnson's sister tells a much different story. She said she witnessed the incident from her backyard.

"My brother said, 'Please don't shoot me. And they shot him in cold (expletive) blood," she told 24 Hour News 8.

"They killed my son," his mother said. "They killed him dead like he wasn't nothing."

As to claims by the sister and others say they saw and heard Johnson give up before he was shot, Kleibecker says it's early in the investigation.

"We don't know what happened at the scene. We don't know how the assaults occurred," Kleibecker said. "The actual piece of when the fight occurred, the shot was fired. We don't have that piece yet. And that's what the State Police will be working on."

He added, "I know the state police have interviewed a number of witnesses. If there are other witnesses out there, they will talk with them. And when all is said and done, we'll put all the pieces together and hopefully have an explanation of why this occurred."

The injured officer was released from the hospital. No word on exactly what his injuries are. The officer will be placed on adminstrative leave until the investigation is complete.

The Michigan State Police continue to investigate this incident. "We're assisting (the state police) in anyway we can," Kleibecker told 24 Hour News 8. "The Michigan State Police will do a thorough investigation and we will reach some conclusions in this case."

Wednesday, as residents gathered in the street near the scene of the shooting, police stayed clear of the area for the most part, hoping things will calm down and hoping they'll trust the investigation.

"Be patient with us. I know there's alot of emotion now. It's understandable."