Grand Rapids civil rights attorneys Ven Johnson and Ben Crump have publicly called the fatal shooting of Da'Quain Johnson by police 'assassination' and announced an independent investigation into the case, disputing the official police account that Johnson threatened officers with a firearm.

The announcement came during a virtual press conference on Friday, March 20, featuring Da'Quain's mother Angelica Johnson and Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack.

What Happened on the Night of the Shooting

On the evening of February 18, Grand Rapids police officers responded to a call at Eastern Lofts apartment complex on Eastern Avenue SE near Martin Luther King Jr. Street after receiving a report that a man on a bicycle was armed with a handgun.

Da'Quain Johnson, 32, was in pursuit by officers. He was on parole for a weapons violation. The incident occurred in the southeast corner of the parking lot, near a dumpster.

A K-9 officer released a police dog that latched onto Johnson, who had slipped and fallen on the ice. The K-9 officer and another officer struggled to handcuff Johnson. Officers on body camera audio can be heard telling him to stop reaching and saying he could be shot.

One officer stated he fired his gun after seeing Johnson point a gun at his face. Johnson died the next day from a gunshot wound to his back.

Conflicting Narratives Emerge

State police released an investigative report through a Freedom of Information Act request that documented the scene. The 51-page report stated:

The suspected pistol then appears to fall out of his hand near his right hip area, consistent with where the pistol is observed on Ofc. [redacted] bodycam when Da'Quain is taken into custody.

The report noted the recovered 9mm semi-automatic Taurus pistol held eight rounds, including one in the chamber. State police also noted a quantity of blood and bloody clothing in the parking lot where rescue workers had treated Johnson before he was taken to the hospital.

However, the civil rights attorneys representing Johnson's family have released bystander video they say contradicts the police narrative.

Attorney Ben Crump's Comments

Ben Crump, one of the attorneys representing the family, called the shooting unjustifiable during the press conference.

What we're seeing in Grand Rapids is beyond the pale of anything we're seeing in other parts of America. I mean, it's a shame before God.

Crump played and replayed a bystander's cell phone video of the shooting during the conference. He stated:

This community don't deserve lies. They deserve the truth. The video of him pointing a gun at the police officer's face, we wait for it. Look at that video. There is no way they can justify it.

According to Crump, the bystander footage shows Johnson pinned facedown by police while a K-9 was biting him when he was shot three times in the back.

Questions About What Happened

Angelica Johnson, Da'Quain's mother, said she has repeatedly viewed video of her son's shooting. She expressed confusion about the police account that Johnson was reaching for a gun.

We can clearly see that he had no opportunity to reach for a gun or anything else. But as I watched that movie over and over again, and I watched this dog attack my son over and over while two officers straddled his body, I'm still trying to figure out at what point was he a threat?

The state police report included this description of the shooting:

Da'Quain's right elbow appears to flare outward consistent with pulling an object from his waistband area. Ofc. [redacted] then appears to step on Da'Quain's right arm with his left foot.

Johnson said she is committed to sharing the nature of her son's character and will not let his legacy be remembered in a negative way. She described Da'Quain as kind, compassionate, and a wonderful father who loved his children dearly.

Michigan State Police Response

Spl/Lt. Pat Agema, the public information officer for the Michigan State Police's Sixth District, which includes Grand Rapids, provided a statement to the Michigan Advance regarding the magazine contents discrepancy between reports.

It is standard procedure to secure a firearm by removing the magazine and unloading the weapon, Agema wrote to the Michigan Advance. In officer-involved shootings, a team of detectives is assigned to thoroughly investigate the scene.

However, Crump and Ven Johnson disputed this explanation. Johnson stated:

If Mr. Crump and I move forward with the lawsuit, which at this point certainly looks likely, one of the many depositions that we'll be taking in this case are the laboratory folks that analyze those. I agree with Ben, something's off here. I don't get what they're trying to do.

Johnson continued:

If the gun's not pointed, they're not in imminent fear. They're not in reasonable and imminent fear for their own life or safety of others, and they make the arrest, they take him to jail, and the process works. If they had the pointing of a gun, we'd have seen it. We know it. And then you could say it's justified, but that's because they know if the gun is underneath him or in his hand, or both, but it's not being pointed at anyone, then they can't shoot him. It would be excessive force, and they just need to come out and admit it, and they won't.

Kent County Prosecutor Review

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker received the initial Michigan State Police report on the shooting and has requested additional information. Becker has not announced a timeline for his decision on potential charges.

FOX 17 has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the initial report.

Previous Grand Rapids Police Shooting

The attorneys representing Johnson's family, Crump and Ven Johnson, are also representing the family of Patrick Lyoya, who was fatally shot by Grand Rapids police in 2022.

In the Lyoya case, former officer Christopher Schurr was charged with second-degree murder after Schurr shot and killed Lyoya during a traffic stop on April 4, 2022. A Kent County Circuit Court jury could not reach a unanimous decision, resulting in a mistrial.

Becker opted not to retry Schurr. Crump and Johnson are representing Lyoya's family in a federal lawsuit over his killing. Johnson said no decision has been made on filing a civil lawsuit in Johnson's killing.

Police Department Response

A spokesperson for the Grand Rapids Police Department stated the department is committed to the integrity of the Michigan State Police investigative process and the Kent County Prosecutor's review.

Broader Context

The Grand Rapids Police Department has shot or shot at a dozen people since 2022, with four of those shootings resulting in fatalities.

The current standard for police use of force is based on the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision that says force must be objectively reasonable, and that officers are often forced to make split-second judgments in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving about the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation.

Independent Investigation Announced

Crump and Ven Johnson announced they are conducting an independent investigation into Johnson's death. They are waiting on an independent autopsy and have filed a Freedom of Information Act request for more video evidence and police reports.

Johnson said during the press conference:

I do cry because he was my son. He is my son, and will always be my son. A lot of times when I think of my son, I will cry because he was a good person.

Johnson added:

He wasn't just my first born. He was my best friend. He was kind, he was compassionate, he was a wonderful father. He loved his kids dearly.

The attorneys and the family have continued to push back against the police narrative of how Da'Quain Johnson died during the incident on February 18.

Sources

• https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2026/03/ben-crump-calls-grand-rapids-police-shooting-of-daquain-johnson-assassination.html
• https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/a-shame-before-god-civil-rights-attorneys-react-to-shooting-of-daquain-johnson
• https://wwmt.com/news/local/grand-rapids-deadly-shooting-daquain-johnson-police-officers-unjustified-attorneys-transparency-ven-johnson-ben-crump-kent-county-west-michigan
• https://capitalbnews.org/daquain-johnson-deadly-police-shooting/
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/lawyers-man-killed-grand-rapids-185727930.html
• https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/daquain-johnson-had-loaded-handgun-with-round-in-the-chamber-when-grpd-officer-fatally-shot-him-police-report-says/69-57f06798-38e8-42e9-8107-6fe1f76979d6