Man sentenced for firearm violation in fatal Twin Cities firefighter shooting

MINNEAPOLIS — A man convicted of a firearm violation in connection to the shooting death of a Twin Cities firefighter in May was sentenced to over six years in prison.

Marquise Hammonds-Ford pleaded guilty on Thursday to being a felon in possession of a firearm. His sentence of 78 months is an upwards departure from the presumptive sentence for the charge.

Joseph Johns was killed in the shooting, which happened in the early morning at a bar in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Johns was off duty, attending a private party with several hundred members of local motorcycle groups.

Investigators found 63 discharged cartridge casings on both sides of the street and believe Johns' death stemmed from an "altercation and subsequent shootout between two groups of men," court documents said. Officials say it's not clear who fired the shot that ultimately killed Johns.

Hammonds-Ford was seen on video wielding a 10mm handgun with an extended magazine, yelling and pointing the gun at the group Johns was with that night. He was originally charged with an additional illegal gun charge and one count of first-degree riot, but the counts were dropped as part of his plea deal.

"There were other shooters that night, one of whom might still be in possession of the gun that killed Mr. Johns," Prosecutor Joshua Larson noted. "The case of Mr. Johns' death does not need to end with this prosecution.

The defense also pointed out that the person who fired the fatal shot was never arrested and expressed disappointment with a "lack of investigation." Hammonds-Ford, Assistant Public Defender Laura Johnson argued, had become a "scapegoat" for the incident.