Grand Rapids public demands body‑cam footage and quicker police review after officer‑involved shooting

Dozens of residents used the city commission’s public‑comment period on March 17 to demand transparency and accountability after the officer‑involved shooting that killed Daquan Trey Johnson. Speakers urged the commission to release unedited body‑camera footage, name and fire any officers responsible and adopt concrete policy changes to prevent future deaths.

"Tomorrow will mark 1 month since he was killed and executed in our streets by a GRPD officer," said a speaker who identified herself as Ally, calling for release of footage and criticizing what she described as limited transparency from law‑enforcement leadership. Organizers and family members repeated those calls: "Release the body cam footage. Fire the officers responsible for Daquan's death," said an organizer representing the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and multiple speakers recited the names of local residents who have been killed in officer‑involved incidents.

City Manager said staff compiled a five‑year summary of officer‑involved shootings — noting data points such as time, location, number of officers present, whether shots were fired, charges and investigation length — but reiterated that an ongoing Michigan State Police investigation and review by the Kent County prosecutor constrain what the city can make public now. "Since there is an ongoing investigation by the Michigan State Police and subsequent review by the Kent County prosecutor, this report does not discuss or detail the incident," the city manager said, and added staff expect to present further updates to the public safety committee in April.

Commissioners and other officials acknowledged the community’s pain and outlined follow‑up steps: benchmarking pursuit and K‑9 policies with input from the Office of Public Accountability and other jurisdictions (staff expect an update in May), and a separate, more detailed review of City Commission policy 800‑2 governing the Civilian Appeals Board that could require labor‑union negotiations before any changes take effect (staff expect work on this through June–July). Several commissioners also invited community members to continue discussions after the meeting and to participate in upcoming public forums related to hiring city officials.

Speakers made a range of factual claims about prior incidents, patterns and statistics; these were repeated in public comment and remain subject to official review. The city has not announced formal disciplinary outcomes or criminal charges related to the shooting. The Michigan State Police and the Kent County prosecutor continue to lead the criminal review; the city said it will begin its separate administrative review after those external steps conclude.

The commission did not vote on any new policing measures at the meeting; several commissioners said they would bring staff reports and recommendations back to committee for further consideration. The city manager told the commission he expects to brief the public safety committee in April and to provide additional policy benchmarking updates in May.