Grand jury clears officer involved in Parkdale Mall fatal shooting

The Jefferson County grand jury has cleared a Beaumont Police officer who shot and killed a man armed with a knife at Parkdale Mall.

District Attorney Tom Maness says the grand jury met Thursday morning and no billed Sgt. Al Johnson, 61, in the December 29 shooting. The panel determined there was no criminal wrongdoing on the part of Sgt. Johnson, according to Maness.

Bernardo Martinez, 63, of Nederland, was killed.

Witnesses called police and told officers Martinez was acting erratically inside the mall.

When police arrived they saw Martinez with a knife outside Sears. According to police investigators, he approached a crowd of onlookers with the knife. When Martinez refused to put down the knife and came at Sgt. Johnson, the officer shot Martinez, who died at a hospital. 

Authorities hadn't released Sgt. Johnson's name until the D.A.'s office did so after Thursday's grand jury decision.

Sgt. Johnson has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting, which is standard procedure in such a case.

Police Chief Frank Coffin spoke with KFDM News shortly after the grand jury decision was announced.

"It's an unfortunate situation and a tragedy for everyone involved," said Coffin.

He told us Sgt. Johnson should be back at work very quickly.

"We'll have an internal disciplinary review board, which is standard procedure, to make sure he didn't violate any of our policies," said Coffin. "We don't see any problems with it. Sgt. Johnson should be back at work as soon as that's done, probably in a matter of days."

Sgt. Johnson is a 30 year member of the Police Department and has been a Patrol Sergeant for 20 years. He's a veteran member of the Beaumont Police Department's SWAT team.

Stay with KFDM News for more on the story.

BEAUMONT - From Jefferson County District Attorney's Office - Less than an hour ago a Jefferson County Grand Jury determined that there was no criminal wrongdoing on the part of a Beaumont Police Officer, Al Johnson who shot and fatally wounded a knife-wielding man at Parkdale Mall on December 29^th. 

            “This case was presented to the grand jury as is routine in cases involving the death of an individual at the hands of a police officer or any public official.  Both the public and the officer involved have a right to know that the matter was carefully and fully considered by an independent body of community citizens”, said Criminal District Attorney Tom Maness.  “My knowledge of the facts in this case indicates to me that, unfortunate as the circumstances were, that no criminal wrongdoing occurred.”

BEAUMONT - From Beaumont Police Department - (Ofc. Randy Stevens & Ofc. Jeff Curl) -

Sgt. Alfred Johnson, a 30 year veteran of the Beaumont Police Department, has been No Billed by the Jefferson County Grand Jury today for the shooting at Parkdale Mall on 12-29-09.

On the night of 12-29-09 officers were dispatched to Parkdale Mall in reference to a man acting erratically. When Sgt. Johnson arrived the man threatened him with a knife. When the man refused to put the knife down and came at Sgt. Johnson, he shot the man. The man was transported to the hospital where he died.

Sgt. Johnson has been a Patrol Sergeant for the past 20 years and is a long time SWAT member.

It is unknown when he will return to work. The Internal Affairs investigation is still pending.