Bodycam footage shows in detail how 4-year-old shot at police while they arrested his father

Utah police have released footage from a body camera showing the moment where a 4-year-old shot at police officers in a McDonald’s drive-thru. The incident occurred on February 12.

The video shows the build-up to the arrest of 27-year-old Sadaat Johnson. Police were initially called to the McDonald’s after staff alleged that Johnson brandished a gun after an error was made with his order.

Employees requested that Johnson pull his vehicle at the front of the premises after they logged a call to the police. When the police approached Johnson’s car, they found him with this 3-year-old and 4-year old children.

The bodycam footage shows the police asking Johnson to vacate his car before forcibly removing him. As the officers were cuffing Johnson and preparing to take him into custody, an officer saw a gun pointing out the back window and yelled “gun” at the officers who were dealing with Johnson. The officer then pushed it “to the side as a round was fired.”

An officer can also be heard shouting it was a “kid” who had the gun. Police sources said that Johnson had instructed his kids to shoot at the police. According to FOX 13, who were able to obtain court records of the incident, the child opened fire on the police officers because “he wanted his daddy back.”

“This is a sad day for law enforcement and our community. To have an adult think it is okay to encourage a four-year-old to pull a firearm and shoot at police illustrates how out of hand the campaign against police has gotten,” said Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “This needs to stop and we need to come together as a community to find solutions to the challenges we face in our neighborhoods. Officers are here to protect and serve and we are beyond belief that something like [that] could happen.”

Johnson was charged the following month with child abuse, aggravated assault and interfering with an arrest. Johnson said he “blacked out” for 30 seconds after his altercation with the McDonald’s employee. Despite the video surveillance showing it happen, Johnson also denied pulling a gun on the employee.