A former Kansas City police officer was found guilty last week of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the 2024 shooting death of a 71-year-old man in a Walmart parking lot. The jury recommended a life sentence for Taquiza Johnson.
The conviction came after a trial in Platte County, Missouri, over the August 21, 2024, killing of Ronald Barnett. Surveillance footage showed Johnson, then 49 and no longer on the police force, approaching Barnett's vehicle before the two men interacted briefly and Johnson shot the victim once.
Barnett's family expressed mixed feelings about the outcome. They had hoped for a first-degree murder conviction but said they were pleased the jury recommended the maximum sentence possible under state law for the charges Johnson faced.
Johnson's defense argued self-defense during the trial, but the former officer admitted on the stand that Barnett was unarmed. Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd noted that verbal threats alone do not justify deadly force in Missouri.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14. The incident occurred outside a Walmart near the Shops at Boardwalk shopping mall.