The long wait for justice in the wake of the police murder of Da’Quain Johnson came to an abrupt and disappointing end earlier this month on Thursday, April 2.
After weeks of protest and calls from Johnson’s family and the Grand Rapids community, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker decided not to pursue charges against the officer who stole Johnson’s life in February. Becker, after reviewing the video that shows Johnson being attacked by a dog while riding a bicycle, then pinned to the ground by police and shot several times in the back, determined the use of deadly force was justified, denying Johnson’s family even a chance at justice.
Becker is also notable for his handling of the case against former Grand Rapids Officer Christopher Schurr, the cop who murdered Patrick Lyoya in 2022. After a mostly white jury failed to reach a verdict last summer, Becker declined to retry the case…