In the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, a 28-year-old man named Joel Johnson, who was known to many in the area, was going about his usual routine of panhandling between cars slowed by traffic on a Monday evening in May 2019. Johnson, a man with special needs, approached an unmarked vehicle on G Street near Tioga Street with his arms outstretched, a familiar sight to those who often saw him asking for quarters.
Inside the vehicle was a plainclothes Philadelphia police detective,
Francis DiGiorgio, who was on his way back to his headquarters after processing a crime scene. As Johnson approached his car, the detective perceived a threat. Believing he saw a firearm in Johnson's hands and thinking he was about to be robbed or carjacked, the 29-year-old detective fired his weapon through the closed car window. Four shots were fired, with one striking Johnson in the torso and causing him to stumble to the ground.
Neighbors and witnesses rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshots. They recognized Johnson, describing him as a harmless individual who wouldn't hurt anyone. His brother, Hector Tirado, affirmed that his brother never carried any weapons and would only have change on him. A preliminary investigation by the police confirmed that no weapon was found on Johnson or at the scene. Surveillance video of the incident captured the moments leading up to the shooting.
Following the incident, Joel Johnson was transported to a local hospital in critical but stable condition. Detective DiGiorgio, a seven-year veteran of the force, was placed on desk duty pending an internal affairs investigation into the shooting. Johnson's father, Joseph Vazquez, expressed his shock and confusion over the shooting of his unarmed son, stating that all he wanted was justice. The community that knew Joel Johnson was left shaken, with many neighbors expressing that he was shot for simply begging for a quarter.
