Grand Rapids city leaders on Tuesday admitted they have little information to offer members of the public who continue to clamor for answers in the wake of the shooting death of Da’Quain Johnson.
Johnson was shot and killed by Grand Rapids police in February after he was suspected of carrying a gun while riding a bicycle. The Michigan State Police continue to investigate the shooting while the GRPD officer involved remains on paid leave.
The incident has sparked demands for police transparency and a public condemnation of the shooting. Despite this, members of the City Commission said during Tuesday’s public meeting that they still have few answers to offer as the city marks one month since the shooting.
Commissioners opened the meeting by acknowledging a slew of communications sent to them by community members. One letter from a self-described mother and military veteran blasted city leaders for not taking action while awaiting the results of the state police investigation.
“As a veteran, I know what it means to carry authority responsibly, to follow clear rules of engagement, and to be accountable when harm occurs,” the letter reads. “As a mother, I can’t accept that the public is repeatedly asked to ‘wait for the investigation’ while grief and distrust grow and the same patterns repeat.”
Another letter condemned Mayor David LaGrand’s decision to call for Grand Rapids gun owners to be publicly shamed. The mayor has since apologized for those remarks, describing them as being made “in the heat of the moment.”
“It is about time Grand Rapids grows a spine and supports their Police Department, the letter reads. “[LaGrand’s] statements show his true ignorance and is not helping your city heal, if that is even possible right now. You are trying to hire a new Police Chief in the future and with comments made by LaGrand I don’t know why anyone would want to be a Police Chief in that environment.”
Mayor LaGrand acknowledged each of those letters were “received and filed” during the meeting but did not respond to them or offer further comment.
After the commission completed its agenda items, the meeting then opened for public comment. Several community members used that period to demand the release of the name of the officer who shot Johnson and a commitment to police reform.
Despite this, members of the commission said they still have nothing to add to the conversation.
“I’ve got pages of thoughts and notes and paying attention, and I want to say now I can’t possibly address everything without having thought through it,” Commissioner AliciaMarie Belchak said. “I am thinking about things, and I hear you and I am sorry.”
“I know that it’s not satisfying for you to hear me or any one of us up here saying we can’t do anything this second,” she added.
Commissioner Kelsey Perdue then explained to the meeting that she did not have any information other than what was publicly available.
“I’m not privy to any information that you are not at the moment,” she said. “I haven’t seen any videos, I’m not privy to any information that you all do not have.”
“I’m looking forward to when the Michigan State Police is done with their investigation and the Kent County prosecutor makes their decision and then the city will then have the opportunity to start our own investigation process,” she added. “I am waiting patiently and patiently to get that information as well.”