John Crawford III was 22 years old and the father of two sons. On August 5, 2014, he was out shopping at a Walmart. In the store, he selected a BB/Pellet air rifle for purchase from the sporting goods section, and then continued shopping, all while casually chatting with his girlfriend on the phone. Seeing the gun in John’s hand, another customer called the police, falsely claiming that John was an armed threat. Upon arrival, the police confronted John and fatally shot him.

The supposed weapon was a toy gun available on the shelves of the store. The location was Beaverton, Ohio. It is important to note that Ohio is an open-carry state, which means people in legal possession of firearms may carry them unconcealed.

John’s murder, like too many others, was captured on surveillance video and led to nationwide protests. His mother, Tressa Sherrod, believes that the surveillance tape shows the police lied in their account of events. The officer who shot John was not charged with any wrongdoing.

John Crawford’s family filed lawsuits for negligence and wrongful death against Walmart, the city of Beavercreek, and the police officers involved. In 2020, the city of Beavercreek and the family settled their suit for $1.7 million. His father, John Crawford Jr. said he was on the cellphone with his son at the time of the shooting, and he heard his dying breaths, and that keeps replaying in his head.