It was a packed room at Alger Middle School Monday evening as community members gathered to voice concerns and ask questions of Mayor David LaGrand during his Mayor’s Monday forum, this week focused on policing and justice.
This meeting came after a week of tension and grief in Grand Rapids following the Feb. 19 fatal shooting of Da’Quain Johnson, a 32-year-old Black man, by a Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) officer. Bodycam footage appears to show Johnson face down on the ground with both hands behind his back while a K-9 dog had his arm in its mouth when an officer shot him from above. The officers involved in the shooting have not been identified by the department.
LaGrand opened the session by thanking attendees and reaffirming his commitment to justice. Early in the discussion, he let attendees know he could not comment on the ongoing investigation…