“I cannot show the decision that night to use deadly force was not honest and reasonable.”
In his opinion Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker says a jury would decide a Grand Rapids police officer was justified when he shot and killed Da’Quain Johnson on February 18th.
“I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not act in self-defense and based on the facts and circumstances,as I see them, I cannot simply do that.”
“He’s got a gun in his hand. Drop the gun. Drop the gun. Bang, bang bang.”
Their K-9 had Johnson pinned to the ground and police were trying to get him handcuffed. An officer fired three shots when he says Johnson pulled and pointed a handgun.
“Shots were in the shoulder. One of them went through actually the spinal cord which was the fatal shot.”
Johnson was riding a bicycle. Police had a tip he was carrying a gun, and they started chasing him because there was no light on the bike.
“It is a violation of Grand Rapids city ordinance to ride a bike in the roadway without a So, there is a legitimate basis for them to make contact and pull him over.”
Becker says Johnson was high on cocaine.
“He had cocaine in his system so he may not have been thinking clearly.”
And while body, dash cam and surveillance video don’t show him pointing the gun, it is seen lying next to his body.
“So, we have an individual clearly access a weapon pull it out and it drops out of his hand after this incident occurs.”
