Snellville Officer-Involved Shooting Update: Autopsy Confirms Self-Inflicted Cause of Death

At the request of the Snellville Police Department, agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) are currently looking into an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a man in Snellville, Georgia. The incident occurred in the early hours of March 22, 2024.

Preliminary details provided by the authorities indicate that around 4:00 a.m., officers from the Snellville Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a Hyundai Tuscon that was observed driving without headlights on West Main Street in Snellville. The driver, identified as 36-year-old Rashawn Johnson from Tucker, Georgia, was reported to have his phone in hand and expressed a desire to call his mother.

Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer encountered resistance from Johnson, who refused to comply with commands to exit the car. Despite warnings of potential arrest for obstruction, Johnson remained inside the vehicle. Eventually, the officer opened the driver’s door and observed a weapon in Johnson’s possession. Commands were issued for Johnson to drop the weapon, but he fired it instead. In response, officers discharged their firearms.

Authorities initially stated that Johnson was killed by shots fired by officers. However, to ascertain the precise cause of death, an autopsy was ordered.

On April 26, 2024, the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Johnson’s cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. No officers were reported injured in the incident.