Detroit Police Hit With $50M Lawsuit In 70-Year-Old Man's Death

DETROIT — The family of a man who died last September after he was punched in the face by a former Detroit cop filed a $50 million federal police brutality lawsuit, according to Fieger Law of Southfield.

Daryl Vance, 70, died in a hospital 20 days after the officer punched him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head, prosecutors said.

Juwan Marquise-Alexander Brown, 29, was charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal assault. Last month, a Wayne County judge determined that there wasn't enough evidence to send Brown to trial. Wayne County prosecutors said they plan to appeal King's ruling.

"Police brutality has no place in our society. What Former Officer Brown did to Mr. Vance was nothing short of reckless and malicious police brutality," Vice President and Managing Partner of Fieger Law James Harrington said in a statement. "Brown’s shameful conduct on the video is a disgrace to the community that he was sworn to protect and serve."

Police said officers, including Brown, responded to a Midtown business around 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, 2023, for a disturbance caused by a man in his 70s, whom police believe was intoxicated.

When Brown and other officers arrived at the business, they asked Vance to leave the area, but he refused and a "verbal confrontation" between Brown and Vance escalated, police said.

Brown then punched Vance in the "in the area of the jaw," causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground, police said.

Officials took Vance to a nearby hospital, where he later died, police said. The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that Vance died of blunt force trauma to the head from the punch.

The Detroit Police Department said in a statement that Brown had been terminated "as a result of his actions."

Police said Brown was planning to appeal that decision, but in the meantime, he would not be on police payroll or hold any law enforcement authority.