Dorian Johnson — the man whose false account of Michael Brown’s 2014 death fueled the Black Lives Matter movement — was killed in a shooting Sunday morning in Ferguson, Missouri.
Johnson, 33, was struck by gunfire around 8:30 a.m. near the 9000 block of Abaco Drive, just a mile from where Brown was killed more than a decade ago.
The Shooting
Police said Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
One suspect was initially taken into custody, but prosecutors later released him pending further investigation.
Dorian Johnson
Officials now say the shooting may have been domestic in nature and could involve a claim of self-defense.
Ferguson Police stressed that no officers were involved in Johnson’s death.
“There had been earlier rumors that this was an officer-involved shooting — that information is incorrect,” the department said.
The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives working alongside the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office.
Legacy of Controversy
Johnson gained national attention in 2014 after claiming Michael Brown had his hands raised in surrender when Officer Darren Wilson shot him.
Michael Brown
That account was later proven false by federal and local investigations.
Still, it ignited the infamous “Hands up, don’t shoot” chant that spread across BLM protests nationwide.
NEW: Dorian Johnson, Michael Brown’s friend who spread the false ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ claim, has been sh*t dead in Ferguson, Missouri
Dorian Johnson was with Michael Brown the day he was sh*t in Ferguson
Earlier that day, Johnson was also with Brown when Brown robbed a… pic.twitter.com/4ntUNjgsgL
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) September 8, 2025
Johnson was with Brown on the day of the strong-arm robbery at a convenience store that preceded the fatal confrontation.
He filed a lawsuit years later alleging Wilson stopped him illegally and used excessive force, but an appeals court dismissed the case.
Despite evidence disproving his claims, activists and media outlets repeated his story, fueling years of unrest and anti-police rhetoric.
Living in the jungle has its hazards