When Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced on April 2 that he would not file charges against the officer who shot and killed Da’Quain Johnson in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in February, he didn’t make the announcement at his office downtown. Instead, Becker held the media briefing at the Michigan State Police 6th District Headquarters, about seven miles north of the city.
Locals speculated the choice was designed to insulate him from backlash.
“It shows that he’s scared,” said Rich Griffin, a community advocate in Grand Rapids, who previously led the city’s violence intervention program and is now running for city commissioner. “He knows this isn’t the right decision.”…