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Court records: Man shot by DEA agent on Cleveland's east side did not pull weapon

Records show that the agent reports seeing Trayvon Johnson walk towards his vehicle and lift his shirt to show a gun on his person.

CLEVELAND — Editor's note: The video in the player below is from a related story published on April 14, 2021. 

Newly released court records show that a recent shooting involving a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent on Cleveland's east side on April 14 occurred after the agent reportedly noticed the suspect carrying a firearm in his waistband.

This is despite initial reports stating that Trayvon Johnson, 21, had pulled a weapon. 

Documents obtained by 3News show that the 21-year-old "brandished a firearm by lifting his shirt with his left hand displaying a black and silver firearm which was in the his front waistband, as he walked directly toward the white SUV" in which the DEA agent was sitting in. 

The DEA agent had been seated in a parked vehicle in an undercover capacity on East 82nd Street and Decker Avenue previous to the incident. 

The agent reportedly "felt threatened" seeing the weapon and by Johnson's walk towards the vehicle, and that is when the DEA agent exited the white SUV and fired in the direction of Johnson. 

RELATED: How common are shootings involving law enforcement officials in Ohio?

Johnson's firearm, a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson, was recovered from the scene following the incident and the man was arrested by police. 

"As soon as he pulled up and got out, they shot him," Johnson's mother Diana said, adding her son was coming back from the store. "My son [was] getting out of the black car that he got dropped off in, and then he started walking towards their car and he didn't have [anything] in his hand. I saw him running on the camera, dodging at him. They were shooting at him."

RELATED: Man shot by DEA agent on Cleveland's east side; officials claim weapon was 'brandished'

Last week, Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin said that the Cleveland Division of Police will handle the investigation of the incident and Martin promised transparency, saying "they will have everything they need."

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