A deadly encounter between Grand Rapids Police and 26-year-old Da-Quain “DQ” Johnson has left a Michigan community divided after two conflicting videos surfaced this week.
On Thursday, city officials released body and dash camera footage of the Wednesday afternoon shooting, while local activists held a separate press conference to share cell phone video they claim tells a much darker story of what happened in an apartment parking lot near Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
The situation reportedly began when officers responded to a call about an armed man on a bicycle. After a brief chase, police deployed a K-9 to intercept Johnson. While GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom stated the dog was used as a non-lethal measure to end a struggle, the situation turned fatal when an officer shouted “he’s got a gun” before firing multiple rounds. Though police confirmed a handgun was recovered at the scene, community members argue the video shows a man who was already pinned down when he was killed.
Video:
“We need accountability, full accountability, not only for the officers, but for their leadership, because their leadership is who spoke to this community and told this community a false narrative of what took place,” said Richard Griffin, a community consultant, during the activist-led press conference. “What are you seeing in that video? What I’m seeing is young man being executed by a police officer, that’s what I see.
The heartbreak was visible during a vigil held at the shooting site, where Johnson’s mother spoke out about the trauma of seeing the footage before she was even allowed to see her son. “I saw somebody laying on their stomach with a dog on their back and two police officers behind them, and then I watched them shoot my son four times,” she said, recounting the agonizing moments caught on tape.
Frustrated by the lack of communication from the department, she made her demands for the future of the investigation clear. “I do pray that the two men that stood over my son’s back look me in my eye and tell me why they shot my son,” she said. “I want justice for Da-Quain Johnson okay, and I’m gonna get justice because this — we can’t let this ride, that’s right. If we let this ride, y’all might as well just get rid of your whole court system, period.”
While the Michigan State Police take over the investigation and the involved officers remain on administrative leave, the city is offering mental health resources through The Wisdom Center for residents affected by the violence. For the family of Da-Quain Johnson, however, the focus remains on receiving justice.
