Burlington man arrested in connection with officer-involved shooting

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A Burlington man appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, facing charges after an officer-involved shooting on Saturday.

David Johnson, 20, pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. But police say he was really trying to commit suicide by cop.

According to the affidavit, Johnson called 911 saying there was an emergency and he wanted police to respond.

They did. Police say they tried to de-escalate the situation but Johnson said he wanted police to kill him.

They say that’s when one officer asked another to grab a beanbag round, and then Johnson charged them with a knife.

Vermont State Police say that’s when Burlington Police Sgt. Simon Bombard fired three rounds, hitting Johnson once in the leg.

In court, the judge ultimately sided with the state to hold Johnson without bail.

“The court will preliminarily hold Mr. Johnson without bail. He is charged with a felony, an element which includes an act of violence against another person. Preliminarily, the court does not find that there are conditions that the court could impose that would reasonably prevent the violence,” Vermont Superior Court Judge Alison Arms said.

Johnson’s lawyer argued for bail, citing Johnson’s physical and mental health as a reason to not send him to jail.

According to court paperwork, when police interviewed Johnson in the hospital, he told them he heard them talking about the beanbag and he knew a beanbag round would not kill him, and that’s why he charged them so that they would shoot him.

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