Da'Quain Johnson

Feb 18

Written By M T

32 years old · Grand Rapids, Michigan · February 18–19, 2026

Who he was

Da'Quain Tre' Johnson was 32 years old and from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was a father to three daughters, two stepdaughters, and had an unborn child due in August 2026. He was engaged to be married. His mother Angelica Johnson described him at a press conference: "He was kind. He was compassionate. He was a wonderful father. He loved his kids dearly. He loved his siblings. He was the type of person that, literally, he would give you the shirt off his back. If you called him, you knew he would be there." Among those who witnessed the shooting was his 13-year-old daughter, who saw the police dog maul her father before he was shot.

What happened

On the evening of February 18, 2026, Grand Rapids Police officers received a report of a man riding a bicycle who may have been armed. Officers located Da'Quain Johnson on his bicycle and attempted a traffic stop, citing that he was riding in the roadway without a light. Johnson fled on his bike. A K9 unit pursued him for at least 90 seconds, following him to the parking lot of Eastern Lofts apartment complex on Eastern Avenue SE — where he lived. Johnson dismounted his bicycle and fell to the ground. The police dog attacked him while he was on the ground. Officers pinned him face-down. Body camera footage shows Officer Christopher Carlson and Officer Austin Diekevers on top of Johnson while the dog bit him. Within seconds of being restrained, Carlson fired three shots into Johnson's back. Johnson was transported to Trinity Hospital, where he died during surgery early on February 19, 2026. His death certificate lists cause of death as "gunshot wound to the back." A loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol was found near his body after the shooting.

Official ruling

On April 2, 2026, Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker announced he would not file charges against Officer Carlson or Officer Diekevers. Becker said he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers did not act in self-defense. "I cannot show that the decision of Officer Christopher Carlson for the Grand Rapids Police Department to use deadly force that night was not honest and reasonable," Becker said. He acknowledged that a gun does not need to be pointed at an officer for deadly force to be justified. He held the press conference not at his downtown office but at Michigan State Police headquarters, seven miles outside the city — a choice local observers noted appeared designed to insulate him from community backlash. Becker acknowledged at the press conference: "I have to start by saying the videos that are out there and the videos I had to review are probably some of the most troubling videos I've ever seen in my 30 years as a prosecutor."

Contested record

The family, attorneys Ben Crump and Ven Johnson, and community leaders have directly contested the official account on multiple grounds.

First, the sequence of events: a witness video released by the family — distinct from the body camera footage released by police — appears to show Johnson face-down, straddled by an officer, being bitten by the police dog, when he was shot. "It is one of the worst videos of a police killing I've ever seen in my life, just because he is face down," Crump said. His brother Deonque Johnson said: "We wanted to see this barrel pointed at this officer to justify this, but it is nowhere."

Second, the gun: police say a loaded gun was found under Johnson's body after he was shot. The family's attorneys have contested the timeline of when officers claimed to see the gun, and his mother stated: "I watched that video over and over, because they said after we released that video, they then said he was laying on the gun."

Third, access to evidence: the family was denied access to autopsy reports, medical records, and the full Michigan State Police investigative report before the charging decision was announced.

Crump and Ven Johnson — who also represented the family of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man shot in the back of the head by a GRPD officer in 2022 — called Becker's decision "deeply disappointing" and said it "raises serious questions about accountability." Becker is the same prosecutor who declined to retry the Lyoya case after the first trial ended in a hung jury. Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack drew the direct parallel: "When it comes to officer related shootings, there is a mantra that continues to happen. We see it on video and then people come out and tell us what we saw is not what we saw."

Da'Quain Johnson's mother has vowed to seek a review from the Michigan State Attorney General and to pursue justice "as far as I have to go."

Legal process

February 18, 2026 — Da'Quain Johnson shot three times in the back by GRPD Officer Christopher Carlson in the parking lot of Eastern Lofts. Dies during surgery early February 19.

February 19, 2026 — GRPD holds press conference. Michigan State Police opens investigation. Body camera and dashcam footage partially released by GRPD.

February 19, 2026 — Family releases separate witness video appearing to show Johnson restrained when shot.

February 28, 2026 — Community protest at Calder Plaza. Family, advocates, and Kent County Commissioner demand officer identification, full footage, and accountability.

March 1, 2026 — GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom announces resignation, citing in part "anti-police sentiment" and ongoing criticism.

March 3, 2026 — Michigan State Police delivers investigation report to Kent County Prosecutor.

March 20, 2026 — Attorneys Crump and Ven Johnson hold press conference, calling GRPD's account "mistruths" and demanding full evidence access for the family.

April 2, 2026 — Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announces no charges against officers Carlson or Diekevers. Rules shooting justified under self-defense. Press conference held at Michigan State Police headquarters, not downtown.

As of May 31, 2026 — Case closed, no charges. Family pursuing AG review. Civil wrongful death lawsuit anticipated. Officers Carlson and Diekevers remain on the force.