At a Feb. 23 community event, Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand took aim at city gun owners, saying those who feel the need to carry a firearm should be subject to public ridicule.
He delivered his remarks during a regularly scheduled community conversation in the wake of the shooting of Da’Quain Johnson. Johnson was shot and killed by Grand Rapids police last month after he was suspected of carrying a gun while riding a bicycle.
Video released by the Grand Rapids Police Department shows officers chasing Johnson in squad cars as he flees via bicycle. After Johnson jumps off the bike and falls to the ground, a K9 holds him down as two officers grapple with him.
During the incident, an officer with a gun instructs Johnson to “stop reaching, man, you’re going to get shot” and “drop the gun” before firing three shots. The Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting while the Grand Rapids Police officer remains on paid leave.
While LaGrand declined to address the shooting itself, he shared charged comments about his thoughts on gun ownership in Grand Rapids, saying those who carry weapons should feel “ashamed” for doing so.
“I think as a community, we need to start having some shaming around gun possession,” the mayor said. “I think if you’ve got a gun, you should be ashamed of yourself. I really do.”
The mayor acknowledged his remarks would be “the soundbite of the night” before likening gun ownership to smoking. Those who own a gun, he added, should commit to “self reflection” on their decision, much like a habitual smoker.
“I get that we’ve got a Second Amendment, I get it,” the mayor continued. “But I also think that you should be ashamed of yourself if you smoke. That’s not against the law.”
A Grand Rapids citizen who identified himself as John took to the public comment section of last month’s city commission meeting on Feb. 25 during which he referred to LaGrand’s remarks as “tone deaf.”
“You need to get in tune with the people who are hurting or you’ll say things, like you did mayor yesterday, that are totally tone deaf,” he said. “You’re on a totally different conversation. You’re changing the subject.”
LaGrand also questioned the use of K9s in policing, suggesting a “hound dog” is best used for searches while saying drones would be better used for chases, like the one that led to the Johnson shooting.
“If my dog did what I saw in that video, I’d put my dog down,” Mayor LaGrand said.
LaGrand later clarified his remarks in a Facebook post saying that, while his tenure as a former prosecutor had given him first-hand experiences with gun violence, he did not intend for his comments to signal forthcoming gun legislation.
“I am fully aware that the Second Amendment and state law limit the policy options available to a municipal leader,” he wrote. “I cannot legislate this pain away. Therefore, my comments were not the signal of impending policy, but an expression of personal frustration and deep sorrow.”
LaGrand also backtracked his comments regarding K9s, saying he had spoken “in the heat of the moment.”
“I recognize that there is a profound difference between a household pet and a highly-trained police K9,” he wrote. “Police K9s continue to be a very useful tool for our department.”
During his time as a state representative, LaGrand voted down a bill to authorize carrying a firearm without a permit. He additionally voted against a bill to prohibit local gun buy-back programs.
He also backed a measure to prohibit carrying a concealed pistol without a license.