GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan State Police continues to investigate a deadly officer-involved shooting in a southeast Grand Rapids neighborhood earlier this week.
On Friday, I spoke with people in the area about what they heard and saw on Wednesday night. I was able to learn more about 32-year-old Da-Quain Johnson and obtained a new video from neighbors that shows part of the police chase.
"He was a kind soul. So to see him lying on the ground and being shot after he was already pinned to the ground," said Decheisa Brooks, who works at Miss Tracy's, a local business where Johnson was a regular customer.
The southeast neighborhood is filled with questions.
"Just why, why did they do him like that? They did not have to shoot him," Brooks said.
A new video shared with me by neighbors shows footage from not far from where Johnson was shot. It appears this video was captured in the moments before the dash-cam video the Grand Rapids Police Department released Thursday.
"We've heard a lot of calls from the community. There are a lot of inconsistencies or outright falsehoods being spread on social media," Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said during a Thursday new conference.
I asked why officers were pursuing him in the first place.
"What was the call initially, to where you want to stop this person?" I asked.
“When the officers are in here [Friday] morning or the next morning to give their full statement, they're going to describe it, but it doesn't seem to be a 911 call. Seems to be an officer-initiated call," Winstrom replied.
Winstrom also said Thursday that Johnson was out on parole. I looked into that and confirmed it via state records. County court records show he was facing a misdemeanor charge and was out on bond. Both had conditions restricting Johnson from having a gun.
I followed up with GRPD again on Friday, asking what led officers to pursue Johnson. They say that's part of the Michigan State Police's investigation.
At this point, it is unclear whether the officers knew Johnson's identity.
Meanwhile, neighbors like Brooks will continue to wonder why Johnson was shot.
"They did not have to shoot up, and they need to stop shooting our people like anything," Brooks said.
Once the Michigan State Police's investigation is complete, detectives will send it over to the Kent County Prosecutor's Office for possible charges. The officer who fired his gun is on paid administrative leave.
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