Man Sentenced In Shootout That Killed Eagan Firefighter

MINNEAPOLIS — A Monticello man was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for his role in a May shootout in Minneapolis that left off-duty Eagan firefighter Joseph C. Johns dead.

Marquise Trevone Hammonds-Ford, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited possession of a firearm on Oct. 1.

The sentence is an upward departure from the sentencing guidelines because Hammonds-Ford fired his weapon multiple times in a crowded area.

Forensic evidence established that Hammonds-Ford did not fire the shot that directly caused Johns’s death. However, Hammonds-Ford played a principal role in instigating the shootout by firing his gun into the air over the heads of a group of people, prosecutors said.

Mr. Johns served as a firefighter in Eden Prairie and Eagan. According to witness accounts, he was helping direct foot and vehicle traffic when he was shot and was not involved in any confrontation.

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

"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."