Police Accountability Review Comes After Da'Quain Johnson Death

Grand Rapids, Michigan — City officials received a comprehensive review Tuesday of 12 officer-involved shootings that occurred over the past five years, a presentation prompted by the February death of 18-year-old Da'Quain Johnson.

The review dates back to 2022 and provides detailed information about each incident, including the time and location of the shooting, whether the individual involved was known to have a weapon, the number of officers present, and the use of de-escalation and less-lethal force.

"I stand behind our department and our policies, and we hold our men and women to it right," said Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg during the presentation.

The Kent County Prosecutor ruled that officers' actions were justified in 10 of 12 cases. City Manager Mark Washington emphasized the importance of transparency for neighbors during an ongoing review.

Correlation Between Gun Seizures and Shootings

During the presentation, Trigg highlighted the dangers officers face in the field, noting that officers have been seizing around 500 guns annually since 2022. He correlated the dangers of officer-involved shootings to the number of guns taken off the street.

"I'm correlating it with the times that there's a lot more guns on the street this day, so there's a lot more potential for violence," Trigg explained. "Right during my times of when I was an officer working the street, the numbers were quite low, as I discussed, that more than half."

Trigg shared that he knows personally about the dangers officers face. In 2007, his partner and friend, Officer Robert Kozminski, was shot and killed while responding to a call.

"We had to lay a friend and coworker to rest in this uniform. So my motivation is to make sure that our department is held in a high regard, and to make sure on the flip side of that, make sure on our men and women, they have a high standard and represent this department well," Trigg said. "As I said, Officer Kozminski is not here to polish his badge anymore. It is on us to keep it polished by adhering to policies, state law and keeping high expectation that we have as an agency."

Ongoing Reviews and Future Actions

The city added that other reviews are ongoing, including a look at Grand Rapids Police Department pursuit policies and how the internal affairs unit handles misconduct allegations. City Manager Mark Washington said those conversations could happen later this spring or this summer.

The February death of Da'Quain Johnson prompted the current review. Kent County Prosecutor determined that the officers' actions were justified in that case as well. Interim Police Chief Trigg declined to comment on Johnson's case or the high-profile case of Patrick Lyoya because both are still being litigated.

Community Impact

The presentation came at a time when community members are closely watching how the Grand Rapids Police Department handles use of force incidents. The comprehensive review provides neighbors with detailed information about past incidents and the department's approach to officer safety and de-escalation.

Sources:

• https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/grand-rapids-leaders-review-10-officer-involved-shootings