GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Dozens of people filled Calder Plaza on Saturday, calling for answers in the shooting death of Da'Quain Johnson.
Protesters started with a car parade from the southeast side neighborhood near where Johnson was shot by police on February 18. The string of vehicles made their way to Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids, where organizers and Johnson's mother spoke to the crowd.
(Disclaimer: The following video contains strong language that some viewers may find offensive.)
LIVE STREAM FROM THE RALLY AT CALDER PLAZA:
The demonstrators demanded the release of the complete, unedited footage from officer-worn body cameras, along with the names of the officers directly involved in the shooting.
The protest began after 4:30 p.m. and wrapped up around 6:30 p.m.
A deadly officer-involved shooting
Johnson was pursued by officers while he was riding his bike on the southeast side of Grand Rapids on February 18. It hasn't been made clear why officers began to chase the 32-year-old; there was no 911 call, per then-Chief Eric Winstrom.
Dash camera footage released by the Grand Rapids Police Department shows Johnson slipped while trying to dismount his bike in the parking lot of an apartment complex near MLK Jr. Street and Eastern Avenue.
A police K9 first reached Johnson, appearing to bite him on the arm, before two officers moved in, the video showed. The officers did not get the 32-year-old to comply with orders to show his hands, with one officer shouting he had a gun seconds before Johnson was shot multiple times.
Johnson's family claimed he was shot in the back of the head, but the medical examiner found gunshot wounds only in his back, per a report.
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The deadly use of force sparked a number of complaints against the police department, including by some elected officials.
Michigan State Police is handling the investigation into the situation. Past officer-involved shooting investigations in Grand Rapids took roughly six to eight weeks from the shooting to a determination by the prosecutor's office.
Grand Rapids
How recent officer-involved shootings have been handled in Grand Rapids
The officers involved in the situation remain on administrative leave.
