Monticello man gets 6.5 years for role in bar shootout that killed firefighter

The gang member connected to the May shootout at a Minneapolis bar, resulting in the death of an off-duty firefighter, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

Marquise Trevone Hammonds-Ford, 29, of Monticello, was sentenced on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited possession of a firearm on Oct. 1. According to Hennepin County, the sentencing is higher than usual for that charge due to Ford having shot his gun multiple times in a crowded area.

Although forensic evidence established that Ford did not fire the shot that directly caused the death of off-duty firefighter Joseph C. Johns outside Whiskey Junction, he played a principal role in instigating the shootout by firing his gun into the air over the heads of a group of people.

Johns was a firefighter in Eden Prairie and Eagan. According to witnesses, he was helping direct traffic when he was shot and was not involved in any confrontation.

According to the charges, the shootout happened around 12:30 a.m. on May 5 in front of the Whiskey Junction Bar, where hundreds of people were gathered peacefully to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of a motorcycle club.

Ford is a known member of the YNT criminal street gang hailing from the "highs" of North Minneapolis. He has been the subject of numerous criminal investigations and was on parole during the incident due to another illegal gun possession case.

The shootout was between two groups of men, one near the bar and the other group across the street. Ford, who was in the group across from the bar, initiated the shootout by shooting in rapid succession over the heads of the other men.

Despite covering his face and hood during the shootout, police were able to confirm it was Ford after speaking with witnesses.

When officers first arrived on the scene, they found Johns suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest, and bystanders were attempting to give him CPR. Officers took over first aid and saw that he was not breathing. Despite lifesaving efforts by officers, firefighters, and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers collected 63 discharged cartridge casings (DCCs) at the scene, which were found in clusters on both sides of the street in front of the bar. Forensic testing later established that the DCCs were fired by seven separate firearms: six different 9mm firearms and one 10mm firearm. Surveillance video confirmed to police that Ford was firing a handgun modified into an automatic weapon with an auto-sear or “switch.”

Surveillance video also caught Ford and two other accomplices driving away from the scene after the shooting stopped. Several minutes later, the same car pulled to the Hennepin County Medical Center in Downtown Minneapolis. Ford is seen jumping out of the vehicle, grabbing a wheelchair for one of his injured accomplices to get into the hospital, and re-entering the truck before speeding off.

"My thoughts are with Mr. Johns’ family today," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said.

"While someone else fired the fatal shot, Mr. Hammonds-Ford committed a reckless act of gun violence, instigating a shootout that took the life of a member of our community and a dedicated firefighter. This sentence is necessary to hold him accountable for his role in Mr. Johns’ death and preserve public safety."

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