Who Is Tarrion Johnson? US Marshal Shooting Arrest

Tarrion C. Johnson is a Chicago man who pleaded guilty to federal charges for shooting a U.S. Marshal and the marshal’s K-9 partner while members of a fugitive task force attempted to arrest him in June 2022.

Johnson was 19 when officers arrived at an apartment on West Belmont Avenue with an arrest warrant connected to a separate attempted murder and attempted robbery case. Authorities said Johnson opened fire after officers announced themselves, wounding a Senior Inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service and his police dog, Rin.

Johnson pleaded guilty in July 2026 to attempted murder of a federal officer and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. His federal sentencing is scheduled for November 17, 2026. Separate Illinois criminal charges connected to the shooting and the earlier attempted robbery remain pending.

Tarrion Johnson Pleaded Guilty To Attempted Murder Of A Federal Officer

Johnson pleaded guilty on July 20, 2026, to attempted murder of a federal officer and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced the guilty plea in August. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Federal prosecutors say Johnson admitted shooting a Senior Inspector U.S. Marshal and the officer’s service dog while members of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force were trying to arrest him. [U.S. Department of Justice]

The guilty plea is a major change from the original 2022 version of this case. Johnson’s responsibility for the federal offenses is no longer merely an allegation awaiting trial.

When Will Tarrion Johnson Be Sentenced?

U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey scheduled Johnson’s federal sentencing for November 17, 2026. [U.S. Department of Justice]

The sentence will cover Johnson’s federal convictions arising from the shooting of the marshal and discharge of the firearm during the violent crime.

Johnson has been in custody for years while his federal and state cases progressed.

What Happened During The U.S. Marshal Shooting?

Members of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force went to the 5200 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago on June 2, 2022, to execute a state arrest warrant for Johnson. The warrant involved separate attempted murder and attempted robbery charges. [U.S. Department of Justice]

According to the federal government, officers announced themselves as police and said they had an arrest warrant before entering the apartment. They encountered Johnson carrying a firearm and ordered him to put it down. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Johnson instead opened fire. He shot a Senior Inspector U.S. Marshal and the marshal’s K-9 partner and then fired at a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal, hitting that officer’s ballistic shield. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Johnson fled the residence but was captured shortly afterward. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Federal Court Records Describe Johnson Firing Through A Window

The original federal criminal complaint provided additional detail about how the shooting unfolded. Investigators said officers wearing clothing clearly identifying them as law enforcement surrounded the residence and repeatedly announced their presence. [Federal Criminal Complaint]

Authorities said Johnson retreated into a bedroom and fired approximately three shots through a window toward the Senior Inspector U.S. Marshal and the marshal’s K-9 outside in an alley. Both were struck. [Federal Criminal Complaint]

Johnson then allegedly returned toward the interior of the apartment and fired at another task-force officer. One bullet struck that officer’s ballistic shield. [Federal Criminal Complaint]

Johnson’s later guilty plea resolved the federal criminal case based on the shooting.

The U.S. Marshal Was Shot In The Hand

The Senior Inspector U.S. Marshal suffered a gunshot wound to his hand during the attack. Early reporting said another bullet also struck equipment on the marshal’s ballistic vest. [CBS Chicago]

Despite his own injury, the marshal transported his wounded K-9 partner for emergency veterinary treatment. [Chicago Sun-Times]

ABC7 reported that the marshal’s injuries were not life-threatening. [ABC7 Chicago]

U.S. Marshal K-9 Rin Was Also Shot

The federal police dog wounded in the shooting was a Belgian Malinois named Rin. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Prosecutors said the bullet caused severe injuries, including shattered bones in Rin’s shoulder, and lodged near or in lung tissue. The dog initially required intensive veterinary care. [CBS Chicago]

Rin was released from the veterinary hospital two days after the shooting. Police officers lined up to salute the wounded K-9 as he left the facility. [CBS Chicago]

Police Recovered A “Ghost Gun” After The Shooting

Prosecutors said police recovered a semiautomatic unserialized firearm, commonly called a ghost gun, after Johnson’s arrest. Investigators also recovered five shell casings that prosecutors said were connected to that weapon. [Chicago Sun-Times]

At Johnson’s 2022 bond hearing, prosecutors said three casings were recovered near the bedroom window and two near the apartment doorway. [CBS Chicago]

A Chicago Police Officer Returned Fire

A Chicago police officer assigned to the fugitive task force fired at Johnson during the confrontation. Police said the officer’s shots did not strike anyone. [ABC7 Chicago]

As is standard after a Chicago police officer fires a weapon, the officer was placed on routine administrative duties and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability reviewed the use of force. [ABC7 Chicago]

Why Were U.S. Marshals Trying To Arrest Tarrion Johnson?

The task force was executing an arrest warrant stemming from an April 2021 shooting and attempted robbery. Prosecutors accused Johnson of approaching Kenneth Scott and Nicole Smith after Scott agreed to give him a ride. [CBS Chicago]

Chicago Sun-Times reporting based on police records said Scott and Smith were parked in the 1600 block of North Merrimac Avenue when Johnson allegedly approached the driver with a gun and demanded property. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Johnson allegedly fired through the driver’s-side window. Smith was struck in the arm, while another bullet passed near Scott before he drove away. Johnson allegedly continued firing at the vehicle as it left. [CBS Chicago]

Those accusations form a separate Illinois criminal case and should be distinguished from the federal charges to which Johnson has now pleaded guilty.

Nicole Smith Said The Shooting Shattered Bones In Her Arm

Smith publicly described the injuries she suffered in the 2021 shooting that led to the arrest warrant. She said she raised her arm as shots were fired and the bullet shattered bones in her right forearm. [CBS Chicago]

Scott said a bullet first passed close to his face before Smith was struck, giving him enough time to accelerate away from the scene. [CBS Chicago]

Johnson has not been convicted in that separate state case based on the public records reviewed for this update.

What State Charges Did Johnson Initially Face For The Marshal Shooting?

Chicago police initially announced nine Illinois felony charges following the June 2022 confrontation. They included five counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of attempted armed robbery, one count of injuring a police animal and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals. [Chicago Police Department]

Johnson appeared in bond court on June 4, 2022, and a judge ordered him held without bail after concluding that he posed a danger to the public. [Chicago Sun-Times]

The state charging structure later expanded as prosecutors formally indicted the case.

Johnson Still Has Pending Illinois Charges

Johnson’s federal guilty plea does not resolve his state prosecutions. A September 2026 court-advocacy calendar tracking Cook County cases lists Johnson’s Illinois prosecution over the marshal shooting as still active. [Safe Humane Chicago]

The current listing identifies 20 charges associated with the June 2, 2022 incident, including attempted murder, aggravated battery involving a firearm and a peace officer, aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated cruelty to animals, injuring a police animal and reckless discharge of a firearm. [Safe Humane Chicago]

The same source separately lists a concurrent Cook County prosecution stemming from the earlier attempted robbery and shooting case. [Safe Humane Chicago]

Because these state cases remain pending, those charges continue to be allegations unless and until Johnson enters a plea or is convicted at trial.

Johnson’s Next State Court Date Is Scheduled For October

The Cook County case involving the marshal and K-9 shooting is currently listed for a status hearing on October 21, 2026, in Skokie. [Safe Humane Chicago]

That proceeding is separate from Johnson’s federal sentencing before Judge Blakey on November 17.

The existence of parallel state and federal cases is possible because the same conduct can violate both Illinois criminal law and federal statutes protecting federal officers.

Why Did Johnson Face Both State And Federal Charges?

The shooting generated Illinois charges because it involved attempted murder, firearm offenses and injury to a police animal under state law, while federal prosecutors brought charges because the victim was a federal law-enforcement officer.

The original federal complaint charged Johnson with assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Federal law allows prosecutors to pursue violent attacks on U.S. officers separately from state authorities.

Johnson ultimately pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted murder of a federal officer and the firearm offense. [U.S. Department of Justice]

How Old Is Tarrion Johnson?

Johnson was 19 years old when the shooting occurred in June 2022. Chicago police records listed him as living on the 4200 block of West Cullerton Avenue. [Chicago Police Department]

The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified Johnson as 23 when announcing his guilty plea in August 2026. [U.S. Department of Justice]

What Is The Latest Update In The Tarrion Johnson Case?

The most important update is Johnson’s federal guilty plea. On July 20, 2026, he admitted attempted murder of a federal officer and using and discharging a firearm during a violent crime in connection with the June 2022 shooting. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Judge John Robert Blakey has scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2026. [U.S. Department of Justice]

Meanwhile, Illinois court records and case-tracking information indicate Johnson still faces unresolved state charges connected both to the marshal shooting and to the earlier attempted robbery that prompted officers to seek his arrest in the first place. [Safe Humane Chicago]

The original 2022 description of Johnson as merely accused of shooting the marshal is therefore outdated: Johnson has now admitted the federal attempted-murder and firearm offenses, while his separate Illinois cases remain pending.