What we know about the Montpelier Police Department shooting

A Montpelier police officer shot and killed a man, early August 9, after he pointed what looked to be a handgun at police officers, according to Vermont State Police.

Police say what looked to be a firearm was actually an air pellet gun. 

More:Vermont State Police release the identity of the officer involved in fatal Montpelier shooting

Vermont State Police have been investigating the circumstances around the shooting that occurred on Spring Street. 

Montpelier Police responded to a report of a man trying to enter an apartment complex with a knife, but why and how is unclear. The man, Mark Johnson was seen running in the area with a handgun, according to State Police. 

Johnson's death has renewed the conversation inside the Montpelier Police Department around how to appropriately respond to mental health crises, Chief Anthony Facos said. 

"This was a community tragedy and I certainly feel for the officers that were directly involved and impacted," he said. "I’ve been in communication with people from the mental health community in terms of how we look at doing a better job, if we can and where we can."

Use of lethal force by the Montpelier police is rare and has an impact on the whole community, Facos said. 

"It’s just very unfortunate and tragic when something like this, that this happened," he said. "Whenever something like this occurs, especially in a small community like Montpelier, it's felt community-wide as far as the impact." 

Facos said his focus now is making sure the officers involved have all the support they need and continuing a conversation around mental health resources for the Montpelier community.  

Johnson climbed on to a railing of a nearby bridge and officers attempted to calm the situation down, but after a few moments, the man allegedly pointed what looked to be a gun at the officers, who shot and killed him, according to State Police.

What we know

Here is the information that has been released so far by the Vermont State Police regarding the incident:

• The man who was killed was Mark Johnson, 62, of Montpelier.
• Johnson was in possession of a pellet gun, not a firearm. 
• The officer who killed Johnson is Cpl. Chad Bean. He shot Johnson twice in the torso. 
• Bean has been a member of the Montpelier Police Department since 2007. 
• The other responding officer was Chris Quesnel. 
• Both are currently on administrative leave. 
• MPD does not have body cams, but the incident was recorded on the patrol car's dashcam. The footage has not been released.
• The investigation is ongoing. 

What we don't know

• Police have not said why Johnson was attempting to get into the apartment building. 
• The shooting has not yet been determined to be justified or not. After the State Police investigation, the Attorney General's office will also review it. 

This story may be updated. 

Contact Sawyer Loftus at 802-660-1860 or sloftus@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @sawyerloftus18.