Man acquitted in Minneapolis shooting of passenger on Metro Transit bus

A Hennepin County District Court jury has acquitted a man of felony charges in the shooting of a Metro Transit bus passenger last year that resulted in the man's paralysis.

Devonere Johnson, 23, of Minneapolis, was found not guilty Thursday of felony first-degree assault after a trial of several days.

On Oct. 25, Johnson ran into a man identified in court documents as L.G. on a bus in north Minneapolis, according to the charges. He and L.G. had an ongoing dispute and L.G. had dated Johnson's girlfriend, the charges said.

The men got into a fight on the bus and L.G. had Johnson in a headlock. One witness told police that Johnson said, "Stop, dude! Let me go or I'm going to shoot you!" Another witness heard Johnson say, "I'm gonna pop you," the charges said.

When police arrived, L.G. was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the neck and was unable to move or feel his legs. The bullet severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the neck down, the charges said.

Video from the bus showed the two men fighting, and Johnson can be heard threatening L.G.

DAVID CHANEN