The Communist Party USA condemns the brutal police slaying of Da-quain Johnson on Wednesday, February 18, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Family and community members stated that the police misled the public about the shooting.

Video from body cameras and witness cell phones, along with eyewitness testimony, revealed that Mr. Johnson was shot in the back of the head after he had already been subdued by several officers and a police dog. The police spokesperson initially claimed the Johnson had been shot in the chest. His mother, Angelica Johnson, described the killing as an execution. She also indicated that wounds on her son’s neck indicated the viciousness with which the officers allowed the dog to attack him.

Family and community members expressed outrage over the lies and the killing. Community members also noted that the use of dogs with excessive force against Black citizens is commonplace among Grand Rapids police.

In 2025, a jury was deadlocked on murder charges filed against former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr after he fatally shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head during a traffic stop in 2022. Prosecutors charged Schurr with murder for an unreasonable use of force that took Lyoya’s life.

The Communist Party USA mourns the death of Da-quain Johnson and demands accountability for the shooters. We call for justice for Da-quian Johnson and his family.

Black, Brown, and Asian people, women, migrants, and all working people must be safe in our communities, regardless of skin color or citizenship status. The United States cannot continue as a white supremacist stronghold for capitalist exploitation. The killing of Black and Brown youth is a component of the heartless denial of humanity at the core of capitalism. We can organize and take control of the police in our communities and end the killings now.

Image: Da-quain Johnson, photo provided by family. CPUSA.