Da'Quain Johnson, a 32-year-old man, was fatally shot by a Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) officer on
February 18, 2026, in the city’s southeast side. He was riding a bicycle when officers pursued him after being reported as possibly armed. According to GRPD, Johnson was believed to have a handgun, and during a struggle at an apartment complex near Eastern Avenue and Logan Street, a K-9 attacked him before an officer opened fire. Johnson died at a local hospital early Thursday morning.
Family and community response:
- Angelica Johnson, his mother, identified him and spoke at a press conference on February 20, calling for justice and long-term community change. She stated her son had a "heart of gold" and condemned the shooting as "execution style," emphasizing he posed no threat.
- Community members and leaders, including Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, criticized the lack of transparency and called for accountability, citing patterns of conflicting narratives in officer-involved shootings.
Investigation and aftermath:
- The GRPD officer involved has been placed on administrative leave.
- Michigan State Police are leading the investigation.
- Partial body camera footage was released, showing Johnson being chased, attacked by a K-9, and shot. A separate witness video showed the dog still biting Johnson after the shooting.
- Authorities confirmed a handgun was found at the scene.
- GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom stated that due to the belief Johnson had a firearm, the use of deadly force was deemed reasonable under "objective reasonableness" standards.
Why was he chased by the police is the issue at hand ,what did he do to be chased . We need the whole audio from the police vehicles. We need to know if the camera in the cop vehicle alerted them of who he was & they chased him to frisk him with no probable cause . Moms needs an attorney to ask for the audio & video from everyone involved in the incident