A GoFundMe page has been launched for a suspect who was fatally shot by Grand Rapids police last month.
Da’Quain Johnson, 32, died on Feb. 18 at a Grand Rapids hospital. A memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, according to the GoFundMe page. Johnson’s obituary said a family hour was scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church on Franklin Street SE in Grand Rapids.
“However, because neither officer has been charged for the death of Da’Quain, his mother, Miss Angelica Johnson, cannot receive funds from the state to help cover the cost of his funeral,” Duke Turley, the page’s organizer and community activist, wrote on it. “Miss Johnson is in need of our help and support during this difficult time. The total cost for his home homecoming celebration is $7013.00. She is not asking for anything above.”
The page launched this week and raised about $3,600 by early Wednesday. It was verified by the online fundraising platform.
Grand Rapids police said officers pursued a man on a bicycle who they believed was armed with a handgun. at 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 18. The suspect was shot as they tried to take the man into custody. Family later identified the man as Johnson.
Authorities released police body cam footage of the shooting. Video shows an officer moving in with his gun drawn, demanding Johnson get on the ground and put his hands up.
The angle and quality of the videos make it difficult to discern whether the suspect was resisting, but the officer can be heard saying: “Stop reaching, man, you’re going to get shot!”
Seconds later, that officer tells his colleague the suspect has a gun and demands that he drop it. The officer then takes a few steps backward and fires three shots.
Officials said they recovered a handgun at the scene. They also said Johnson was on parole and had past arrests for weapons violations.
Michigan State Police is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Similar incidents have been reported in Metro Detroit this year.
On Tuesday, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said Roseville police were justified in shooting a man who wounded an officer and barricaded himself in a home in January. The man was wounded and facing charges.
Last month, a parolee convicted of shooting an officer in the leg during a struggle with Lansing police in 2024 was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Officers shot and wounded the man during the struggle.
In January, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a suspect who led them on a car chase after allegedly waving a gun at his wife. Officials said he also tried to ram police vehicles.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Fundraiser started for man in Grand Rapids officer-involved shooting
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
