MINNEAPOLIS — A Monticello man will serve a 6 1/2 year sentence for his role in a shootout that claimed the life of an off-duty Eagan firefighter last May.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says 29-year-old Marquise Trevone Hammonds-Ford was sentenced Wedenesday, Oct. 9 after earlier pleading guilty to one count of prohibited possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors say the sentence is an upward departure as Hammonds-Ford fired his weapon multiple times in an area crowded with people. While he did not fire the shot that killed off-duty Eagan and Eden Prairie firefighter Joseph C. Johns, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's office says by shooting his gun into the air Hammonds-Ford triggered the gun battle that would claim Johns' life.
“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," said Moriarty in a released statement. "This sentence is necessary to hold him accountable for his role in Mr. Johns’ death and preserve public safety."
The criminal complaint filed in the case says Johns, a motorcycle enthusiast, was out with friends at the Whiskey Junction bar in Minneapolis May 5 when violence erupted. Witnesses told police Johns was helping direct foot and vehicle and was not involved in any confrontation when bullets started flying. Johns was caught in the crossfire.
Bystanders performed life-saving efforts until emergency responders arrived but Johns would succumb to his injuries.
Court documents say investigators found 63 discharged cartridge casings (DCCs) in front of the bar and determined the spent casings came from at least seven separate firearms. Prosecutors say 16 of those bullets came from Hammonds-Ford's gun a 9mm pistol with a switch that allowed it to fire as an automatic weapon.
For his role in Johns' death, Hammonds-Ford was sentenced to 78 months in prison, of which he will serve 52 months. The remainder will be spent on supervised release.