Man killed in shooting involving officers near metro hospital shot himself, ME confirms

A man killed last month in a shooting involving Snellville police officers died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, not one fired by police.

According to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office, Rashawn Johnson, 36 of Tucker, shot and killed himself during a confrontation with police in late March.

Officers did fire at Johnson, but it’s unclear if any of their shots struck him. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation initially said that officers shot Johnson in the head.

The shooting happened at 4:30 a.m. on Main Street W and Fountain Drive near Piedmont Eastside South Campus.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says that Johnson was pulled over for driving a Hyundai Tucson without his headlights on. Throughout the stop, he had a phone in his hand, rolled down his window slightly and told the officer he wanted to call his mom several times.

The officer got Johnson’s ID and went back to his patrol car to request backup.

When he returned to the car, Johnson wouldn’t roll down the window or get out of the car, so the officer opened the door after telling him he was going to be arrested for obstruction.

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Johnson had a gun in his hand and refused to put it down when officers told him to.

Police told Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin that he pointed the gun at himself after he was pulled over.

At some point, the GBI says, Johnson fired a shot and officers returned fire.

Investigators say three officers fired shots and were not injured.

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