Grand Rapids — Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced Thursday, April 2, that he will not pursue criminal charges against Grand Rapids Police Department Officer Christopher Carlson for the fatal shooting of Da'Quain Johnson on Feb. 18.

Becker ruled the shooting was a justified act of self-defense.

The encounter began when the Grand Rapids police Vice Unit received a tip from a confidential informant that Johnson was armed near a local liquor store. After Johnson fled from a secondary traffic stop on a bicycle, a 90-second pursuit ended with Johnson being brought down by a police K-9.

During the struggle on the ground, Officer Austin Diekevers observed Johnson's arm at a 45-degree bend, a specific posture taught in police training as a signal that a suspect is reaching for a concealed firearm. This observation led the officers to escalate their commands and physical restraint before the situation turned lethal.

While no camera captured the gun pointed at the officer, video and forensic evidence confirmed a loaded 9mm pistol fell from Johnson's hand immediately after the shots were fired.

Carlson, who fired the fatal shots, and Officer Austin Diekevers were trying to arrest Johnson on Feb. 18 for a possible weapons violation when the shooting occurred, according to MLive.

Becker determined that Carlson acted within the bounds of Michigan law, which permits deadly force when an individual honestly and reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.

Becker emphasized that the legal burden rests on the prosecution to disprove a self-defense claim beyond a reasonable doubt a standard he concluded could not be met in this case, according to MLive.

Despite what Becker called the bad optics of the video footage, he maintained that Carlson's belief that his life was in danger was reasonable given the presence of a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol at the scene.

The weapon was recovered with 8 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber, according to the Michigan State Police report obtained by 13 ON YOUR SIDE.

Johnson's mother, Angelica Johnson, condemned the ruling as a green light to kill and announced plans to appeal the decision to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for a higher-level review.

Angelica Johnson, Da'Quain's mother, condemned the ruling as a green light to kill and announced plans to appeal the decision to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for a higher-level review, according to MLive.

Carlson's family attorney stated the no-charge ruling validates split-second judgments by officers in the field.

This marks the second fatal shooting Carlson has been involved in within the last year. In November 2024, Carlson was involved in a shooting where a man was killed near Trinity Health Hospital. The man was carrying a lighter that resembled a handgun and refused to follow orders by GRPD.

GRPD determined that the incident was likely suicide by cop, according to a MLive report.

Becker also decided not to pursue charges in that incident, saying that the officers were justified in their decision to fire their weapons.

The shooting has spurred community pushback, with protestors taking to the streets the day after and hundreds attending a rally on March 1.

Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Ven Johnson, who are representing Johnson's family, called his death an assassination and refuted GRPD's narrative of what happened, according to wzzm13.com.

Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington said he has been reviewing the data on officer-involved shootings over the past five years. He wants to look at the department's pursuit and K-9 policies, as well as the civilian appeals board.

My work and the City's internal work is not finished, Washington said following Becker's decision, according to wzzm13.com.

He said he has directed GRPD and the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability to move forward with their own administrative reviews to ensure all department policies were upheld.

Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg confirmed that the department will now initiate an internal administrative review.

Trigg expressed gratitude for the immense professionalism shown by his officers despite the high-stress environment and intense public scrutiny following the event, according to MLive.

Becker told the press that he cannot show that Carlson's decision to use deadly force was not honest and reasonable.

It's difficult to lose a loved one under any circumstances, but then you have these circumstances where it's out on video for pretty much the whole public to see, Becker said after calling the videos gut-wrenching, according to wzzm13.com.

The Michigan State Police investigation has officially concluded, with the prosecutor's office having the investigation and findings since Tuesday, March 3.

Becker held a press conference to announce his decision ahead of what would have been a trial.