Guilty plea in Minneapolis gun battle that killed beloved Twin Cities firefighter

Sentencing is scheduled this week for a 29-year-old man who has admitted to participating in a Minneapolis parking lot gun battle that killed a beloved Twin Cities firefighter last spring.

Marquise Trevone Hammonds-Ford, of Monticello, agreed last week in Hennepin County District Court to plead guilty to illegal gun possession in connection with the shooting of 40-year-old Joseph C. Johns on May 5 behind the former Whiskey Junction bar in the 900 block of Cedar Avenue.

The plea agreement between the prosecution and the defense calls for Hammonds-Ford to receive a 61⁄2-year sentence. With credit for time in jail since his arrest, he is expected to serve the first four years of his term in prison and the balance on supervised release.

Hammonds-Ford is prominent in the YNT street gang and has been convicted of crimes in Minnesota, the charges read. He was on parole at the time of the shooting for illegal gun possession.

The bullet removed from Johns' body was fired by a 9-millimeter handgun, the criminal complaint noted, pointing to the autopsy. Investigators figured out from where Hammonds-Ford fired his gun and found 10-millimeter discharged cartridge casings in those spots, the charges continued.

Johns, who was off-duty at the time, worked for fire departments in Eagan and in Eden Prairie, where he lived.

Eagan Fire Department officials posted on social media shortly after Johns' death that "our hearts are with both Joseph's family and our fire family. We are grateful for everyone's kindness, patience and empathy as we navigate this moment of profound loss."

A statement from the city of Eden Prairie read, "He was a valued and important member of the EPFD family and will be greatly missed by all who knew him."

A report of gunfire sent police to scene about 12:30 a.m., where a wounded Johns was being tended to by emergency responders. He died shortly after 1 a.m. at HCMC.

Officers collected 63 discharged cartridge casings from the scene that were in clusters on both sides of the street. Witnesses told police that hundreds of people were there to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of a motorcycle club.

Based on video surveillance and other evidence, the gunfire erupted after an altercation between the two groups of men. Johns was near the group closest to the bar. Police determined that Hammonds-Ford, while in the group farthest from the bar, incited the conflict.

Hammonds-Ford pointed his gun upward above the men in the opposing group "and let off a rapid succession of gunshots." A gunfight quickly erupted, with people on both sides of the street shooting at each other. One witness told police that Johns was caught in the crossfire while directing traffic.